Midnight Visit
by FireEdge
Summary: ON INDEFINITE HIATUS. A romance story about Raine and a certain Seraphim. Flashback prone... Spoilers. First Kraine fic on site!
1. Chapter 1

FireEdge: Yay! They have a ToS category! Do you know HOW long I waited for one?! I've been dying to write this fic! :P I know that a KratosRaine is highly impossible (for reasons I will not state, as it would result in a spoiler), but that's the glory of fanfictions! Yay!

Genis: Of course… the first chance you can let your pathetic mind run free, you take it…

Zelos: Hey, why does Kratos get the pretty ladies? :(

FireEdge: Uh… cuz I'm a ZelosSheena fan…?

Zelos: Yay!

FireEdge: Right… Um… major spoilers for those who have not gotten too far (about after the scene at Altessa's place following your escape from Welgaia) in the game, and if you don't like that, then don't read. Please review, no flames regarding spoilers!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Midnight Visit

Chapter 1

In the snowy town of Flanoir, the Chosen's group rested quietly in a cozy inn. Though they were originally supposed to have headed out that morning, a sudden cold struck Presea, causing the group to stay for the night.

Scanning the lobby, Raine vaguely logged the location of the rest of her companions. Presea was obviously resting in bed, Genis was most likely at her bedside, helping her get better. Sheena sat with her head in her hands, staring at the fireplace. Sitting in a corner with a book was Regal. Lloyd and Colette were cuddled up to each other, whispering in each other's ears. Looking at them, an image of herself in their place, laying in the arms of--

Before the thought finished her face turned a shade of pink. Shaking her head and mentally admonishing herself for thinking such thoughts, the half-elf turned to look out the window. Suddenly a voice broke her thoughts.

"Raine, did my eyes deceive me, or was that a blush on your lovely face just mere moments ago?" Zelos walked up to the professor.

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" Raine stammered. Tilting his head, Zelos caught sight of the young couple mentioned before. His brows raised in slight amusement. Then lowering his voice, so that only Raine could hear, he whispered.

"If you'd like, you could cuddle up to me!" Tethe'alla's chosen offered mischievously.

"Zelos!" Raine's face reddened. "What in the world gave you that idea?!" He only shrugged innocently in response.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go for a walk!" She brushed past the bright-haired young man and went out the door. Hearing the click of the door closing, Colette looked up.

"Where did the professor go?"

"She said she was going to take a walk or something." Zelos shrugged, plopping down on a chair.

"Yeah, you probably chased her away." Sheena stated bluntly.

"Hey!"

* * *

Slowly walking through the peaceful streets, Raine sighed. She knew she should have taken care of her feelings before they had gotten out of control. From the first time she had laid eyes on him, she had found him attractive. He was tall, mysterious and handsome. And the fact that he was quite knowledgeable was a definite plus. But she knew that her love was unrequited.

Continuing her stroll, she came across the little spot that all of Flanoir claimed to be the best view of the town. Walking up to it, she noticed that someone was standing there, overlooking the town. _Kratos…_ Stepping back so as to be sure he did not see her, she observed the object of her misery. _He really is Lloyd's father. They both have that sense of air about them… They are both so confident. _He was Lloyd's father that was the exact reason why she knew her love could never be returned. Kratos had been in love with Lloyd's mother, Anna. Most likely he was still in love with her, especially after he had killed her with his own hands. Even if he had not fallen in love with Anna, there wouldn't been a chance for her anyway. She was a half-elf that didn't know her place. He was a human, or rather had been a human. He was now a 4000 year old angel. But either way, it was the same. _I'd better leave before he sees me._ Turning around, she started to go in the opposite direction, but his voice stopped her.

"Raine."

FireEdge: I'm leaving it at that!

Zelos: Hey, are you going to do one about me and Sheena?!

Genis: Keep dreaming!

FireEdge: Ditto. But maybe… Anyway, please review. Like it or hate it, I want to know. If you all hate it, I'll save myself the trouble and not continue, but if you _do_ like it then I'll be happy! Well, bye for now!

--FireEdge--


	2. Chapter 2

FireEdge: Oh my god! That's a lot of reviews! .

Genis: Go figure, people actually like your fic.

Zelos: Do they like me too?

Genis: Who knows, who cares…

FireEdge: And for all those reviewers who said the last chapter was too short, it was because I was sort of testing it out, to see if anyone liked it first. There, now I don't have to repeat myself 100 times.

Reviews:

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Josh: Cool, I'm glad people like this pairing too.

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AI: Ya, that's why I decided to write this fic, I sort of thought Raine liked Kratos at the beginning also. And you're right, we all have our own opinions about pairings.

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YummyTummy: Yes, I think so too.

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Heavenly Pureblood: Thanks for the compliment.

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Ragnarok: Hey! It's nice to hear from a familiar person! Thanks for the review!

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ObsidianIdeals: I completely agree with you.

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LateNiteSlacker: Wow, you're the one who got to put a ToS category? I salute you!

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Desert Bloom: I know they make a cool couple.

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r1y0: Thanks for telling me I mispelled Colette. I fixed it in the other chapter.

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anonymous (there was no name): Thanks for the review!

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Cerse: Did you happen to eat sugar when you wrote this review?

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SilverKidia: I made half your dream came true? Wow.

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Lady Serefina: Yeah, Kratos is cool, but he gets me really pissed off sometimes -=cough=- Tower of Salvation -=cough=-

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potter29vo: Yeah, we're the only romance writers (so far) cuz we're special. :) You bet we should help each other out! Hmm, I think I've seen your fics in FE before… I've yet to read them, but I heard they're good.

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Cute But Psycho: I'm glad you're so enthusiastic! ;;

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SweetMisery430: Thanks! Hey, I've seen you in FE too…

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AshiCorrine: Thank you, I worked hard on that… I think…

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Gaby: Well, here you go: Chapter 2. I hope you won't jump off a cliff this time.

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Ebi Ryu: Oooooh, brownies. Oh yeah, anyway, thanks for the review!

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Lloydlover26: Hey don't cry, I'm continuing! And I know they make a GREAT couple.

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red: Yes, I might do a ZelosSheena one, but not right now. I have too many fics to keep up with at the moment.

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zingamaroo: Hmm… how _does_ Regal read…? I haven't figured that out myself…

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Sadrilene fa Toren: Thank you!

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Tsutanai Shikaku: You betcha!

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Kitten Kisses: Yeah, Raine's cool. And about the second part of your review… no comments…

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Flint: Really? I can't tell the difference.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

****

Midnight Visit

Chapter 2

"Raine." She froze, should she act as if she never heard him and walk away, or should she face him. _No, I have to face him. Walking away means running away from my problems. I've done enough running already. But that doesn't mean he has to find out the truth…_Slowly, Raine turned to face the Seraphim.

"Kratos." She acknowledged him in turn. For a long moment they stood in silence, staring at each other, neither showing emotions that would reveal their proper thoughts.

_He looks the same as ever…_ Were Raine's thoughts. Kratos did indeed look as he usually did. He wore the dark blue outfit from when she had first met him. Red-brown locks hung messily down to his broad shoulders. Long bangs covered one eye, giving him a dark and dangerous look.

In the other's mind, he was slightly confused. Confusion… it was a feeling that he was encountering quite often these days. Now, as he stood staring at the short-tempered half-elf whom he had traveled with before, the confusion was mingled with a different feeling. It was new, yet vaguely familiar. The feeling was uncomfortable, but welcoming at the same time. But before he could ponder his feelings any further, her voice broke the silence.

"What are you doing here, Kratos?" He blinked. At first her voice was just a pleasant tingling sound in his ear. Something he, strangely, wanted to listen to forever. Suddenly coming to his senses, he resisted the urge to shake his head to clear the notion from his mind.

"… I came here to think… the air here is clean and fresh. It clears my mind of unwanted thoughts." Though now, he wasn't too sure if that was true. Raine gave a startled look, that wasn't the answer that she was expecting. She had thought that he was here to perhaps find a way to stop them from interfering with Cruxis' plans. But then again, he did seem to help them here and there. It was hard to tell whose side he was on. Each member of the group had different feelings about him and the advice he gave them. Of course, all the help he lended them was correct and the things he told them never led them astray; but it always seemed to have some sort of catch to it. In fact, she was one of the many that had no clue what to make of the man. He was a traitor, yet he still aided them.

"What brings you out here in the middle of the night?" Kratos cut short her assumptions, curious as to why she was out here by herself. Raine's eyes flickered down.

"Oh… the same reason as you, I suppose…" She answered. Raine looked away, obviously dismissing the subject. Not knowing what was on her mind, and deciding not to pry into her business, he turned to overlook Flanoir once more.

Hearing her footsteps approach him, his head turned slightly to see that Raine now stood next to him on the small terrace. A sad expression shadowed her fair face as she observed the lights of the town below them. Leaning her arms atop of the balustrade, they stood in silence once more.

Looking at her from the corner of his eye he let his mind wander. His thoughts went back to when they had first headed out from Iselia, when no one knew his true identity, when he was just a mercenary for hire. His one job was to escort the Chosen on her journey of regeneration. _If only things were that simple._ In fact, everything _had_ been quite simple. There had been only Colette, Raine and himself. Everything would have gone perfectly. There was no one to interfere. And he knew Raine wouldn't have been too much of a problem. She was a scholar, it would have been fascinating for her, and everything was going perfectly. That was until Lloyd and Genis found them. Though he had thought that they would be a large burden and slow them down, he was later shown that they were quite useful. But he remembered when they were in Triet, before they left for the Triet ruins, when they were shopping for supplies. The three children had run off to explore the market place, doing who knows what. He was left alone with Raine. The angel guessed that he must have had a permanent scowl on his face when they were together. For the half-elf had asked if he was angry or doubting of Lloyd and Genis. The conversation was still fresh in his mind. She had been quite naïve about it all. Raine had said that he should give them a chance. She said that though they were children, they themselves weren't exactly fitting images of the Chosen's bodyguards. After all she had said that she was simply a teacher of a small village and he was a mercenary. Thinking back on that, he realized that she was quite right. But then again she never truly knew what was really going on. That he wasn't just a sell-sword looking for a job that happened to come by Iselia. That he was an angel there to make sure that the Chosen didn't stray off her path too much. That he was a traitor.

He wondered what she really thought of him now. Lloyd had always held on to a belief that he was good and that he would one day return and help them, that he wasn't truly their enemy. That belief had probably been fed even more fuel when it was revealed to Lloyd that he, Kratos, was his true father. Colette most likely thought the same as Lloyd. She was such a nice girl, clumsy yes, but she was so sweet that it was almost tooth rotting. But that was what made her Colette. That assassin, Sheena, her opinion was obvious. She hated him. He was a traitor. There was nothing more to say. Genis he wasn't too sure off. He couldn't seem to figure out what the boy thought of him. The same went for his sister, the woman that now stood next to him. Their expressions were so hard to read. But at that moment in the Tower of Salvation, when it was revealed that he had deceived them. He thought he had seen a flash of pain across her face. It was on all their faces, but it seemed to show on hers and Lloyd's the most. Kratos had to admit; he did feel guilty for what he did. They had put so much trust in him, only to have him betray it. Suddenly, Raine spoke again.

"Kratos, who's side are you on?"

"Hmm…" It was a question he was asked one too many times. It was a question that he had no answer to.

"Well?" She continued to probe. "Whose side are you on? It's a simple question. Are you with Cruxis, or are you not? You help us, but you always seem to betray us in the end. So why help us in the first place? To herd us like sheep, to make sure we walk right into another Cruxis trap?!" Now her eyes seemed angry. _Has she bottled up all the anger this whole time?_ Kratos wondered.

"I apologize, but I cannot answer that question…"

"Fine then… Would you even hurt your own son?" Demanded Raine.

"Lloyd…" He started, but trailed off. She shook her head.

"Men. All the same… never have an answer for those kind of questions." Her gaze returned to Flanoir. She had received the answer she was looking for, he was a traitor. He couldn't even say anything to prove he loved Lloyd.

"Raine, you don't understand. I love Lloyd, but these feelings are new for me. I don't know how to deal with them."

"Oh yes, that's right. Angels can't feel emotions. Would you know love if it hit you in the face?" She asked icily. His lips tightened, he had never seen her this way before. Of course he had seen her angry in the past, but not like this. _What is she getting at?_

"Yes… I would…" He replied, this conversation was getting him a bit riled up also. Suddenly her shoulders loosened and she seemed to relax.

"Maybe you're right… You probably could feel love, after all, if you couldn't, then you wouldn't have fallen in love with Anna…" The sadness returned to her face, it also showed in her voice. Why it was there, he didn't know. He stood staring at her as she looked straight ahead, ignoring everything. A cold breeze blew past them. He saw Raine shiver. He could tell that she was cold. But the half-elf always acted tough.

"… … …" He took a step towards her and held his hand out. In a few moments a ball of fire appeared above his palm. Raine turned surprised, to face Kratos. The ball of fire emitted a warm heat. She couldn't feel the cold that had been bothering her during their whole conversation anymore. A small smile tugged at her lips.

"… Thank you…"

FireEdge: I hope that's long enough to satisfy you people, cuz that took me forever to think up…

Genis: Man, half of it is filler!

FireEdge: Is not!

Genis: Is too!

FireEdge: Is not!

Zelos: Hmmm. -=Reads off cue card=- Please review.

--FireEdge--


	3. Chapter 3

FireEdge: All right, I don't know how long you all have been waiting for me to update but here's the next chapter! I'm sorry I took so long, for I had to update my other fic and I was just plain busy all week.

Genis/Zelos: -=Snore=-

FireEdge: Stupid muses…

Reviews:

Obsidian Ideals: I made them sound realistic? Wow, that's a big compliment for me! Thank you!

Nagem: Thank you!

Lisa: I'm not sure why you can't get to the second chapter, just keep trying. And yes, there will be hints of GenisPresea.

Kratos/Raine forever: I can tell you like this pairing just by looking at your name. Wonder why, eh?

Lady Serefina: OMG! Thank you for reminding me about my mix-up! I keep on getting the two towers messed up. I mean, who in their right mind would name them so alike? I'm just joking. Thanks again, and I made sure to fix it up in the past chapter.

SweetMisery430: I'm glad so many people that.

Alice Kaiba: Thank you! And I know you from FE too! Okay… I'm going to stop naming people from that section now…

Sandrilene Fa Toren: Thanks for reviewing!

Quistis-lm: I screamed when I found out that Kratos was Lloyd's father too…

Lloydlover26: I'm your new best friend? Interesting.

Kitten Kisses: Okay that's nice to know… I think…

Tifa-Carbuncle: Okay. -=Makes a scratch on the "Who likes Zelos Board"=-

Serpentine Rose: I actually don't take your review as an offence, it just tells me that I have to work harder to make this fic even better. Thank you.

Meepit: Sorry if my muse sessions annoy you, but they're actually quite short compared to many others you might see. And they actually don't affect how good/long the chapter is. If you'd like you can just skip them. Also doing the disclaimer every chapter is a habit I have, and I'm not planning to change it, so I apologize.

SilverKidia: Thanks for the encouragement!

DetectiveAnna: Eep! Okay I'll write more, no need to turn all big and green! :P

Waddle Freakin' Dee: Thank you for reviewing!

Ookami Aya: Yeah, ZelosSheena is such a cute pairing.

potter29vo: I'm not sure if what the plot line is, but I'm the person who more basically explores the romance between characters as they progress through the game's storyline. So that's as close to the plot I can really tell you. And I'll try to make it longer! I know I'm capable of it (I've done it in my other fics) but for some reason, this one seems harder… Also there will be thoughts from the other characters in this chapter, a litte.

Tsutanai Shikaku: Thank you!

Ebi Ryu: Thank you! You're the second person that said that you liked how the fic went slow! :P

Devil's Little Sister: Oh, sorry. A lot of people have told me to make my paragraphs shorter. I'll try doing that this chapter.

Kratos Aurion (x2): Yes, I'm trying to make my chapters longer! But my updating times are quite slow…

Malachi: Actually a lot of people are a LloydSheena fan, but there seems to be more ZelosSheena fans. I think Lloyd and Sheena are an okay pairing, but I like ZelosSheena better.

Mistress of the Bells: Oh, sorry for spoiling, but I _did_ warn you… :P And yes, I'm trying to make this longer!

Lindsey: Thank you for the review!

Disclaimer: I don't own of Tales of Symphonia.

Midnight Visit

Chapter 3

Genis looked up at the clock on the wall. It was a bit past midnight. He had barely noticed that the time had passed so quickly. He had been by Presea's side for almost eight hours straight. The only times he had left were to get her some food. _Raine's going to be mad that I stayed up this late. But I can't just leave Presea alone._

Presea's eyes opened slightly. She saw that Genis was still sitting on the chair by her bed. Her eyes darted to the clock.

"Genis… it's okay. I thank you for staying with me, but you need rest also. I'll be fine." Genis turned his head in surprise to look at Presea.

"Presea! … O-okay. Um, goodnight. If you need anything, just call me." The young half-elf then stood up and reluctantly left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Letting out a defeated sigh, he made his way slowly down the stairs. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, he scanned the room for Raine. His eyes widened slightly. She wasn't there.

"Guys, where's Raine?" He asked the others. Sheena lifted her head from where she sat by the fireplace.

"She said she was going for a walk."

"In the middle of the night?" Genis replied, confused.

"That's right, Genis." Added Lloyd, careful not to wake up the sleeping Colette beside him. "She said she was going for a walk. It's a wonder why, I'd go for a walk to if Zelos was hitting on me."

"What?!" Came Zelos's dismayed reply.

"How long has she been gone?" Genis asked, pulling a chair from underneath one of the many tables.

"I'd say she has been gone for a little more than an hour now." Regal stated, looking up from the book he had been reading.

"Say, Regal… how do you read with those handcuffs on?" Lloyd asked.

"Lloyd! That's a stupid question!" Retorted Genis. Regal stayed silent as usual. Taking a closer look. They saw that he was holding the book with one hand and flipping the pages with his thumb.

"Hey, that's cool! I want to try!"

"Lloyd! Raine's gone and you want to read a book?!" Exclaimed Genis.

"Hey, calm down Genis. The Professor is just taking a walk. What could possible happen to her?" Lloyd answered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now, what can I tie my hands together with?" The entire room stared at the young swordsman with a look on their faces that plainly read: "Lloyd, can you get any stupider?"

"What?!" He asked as he looked at everyone's faces.

"Lloyd, you are one strange idiot." Answered Zelos. As that sentence escaped the Chosen's mouth, the door of the inn creaked open. Raine stepped inside, brushing snow off her clothes.

"Raine! Where have you been?!" Cried Genis. Raine looked at Genis with a frown.

"Genis, you should be in bed."

"Raine!" The half-elf continued to protest. His sister sighed.

"Didn't everyone tell you? I was going for a walk."

"See, I told you the Professor would be fine." Added Lloyd.

"That's right, Lloyd is correct. I'm fine. Now go to bed, Genis." Raine said, crossing her arms.

"Fine." Genis growled under his breath. _She's hiding something…I know it. Don't worry Raine, I'll find out your little secret soon enough, or my name isn't Genis Sage!_

"Maybe we should all go to sleep. It is getting late anyway." Said Sheena, standing up and stretching her arms. The others nodded their agreement and headed to their respective rooms.

* * *

Later that night when everyone was fast asleep, a single figure could be seen creeping towards Raine's room. _Hehe, I know you keep a diary Raine. I'll find it and see what you're hiding._ Genis carefully opened the door to his elder sister's room and crept in, slowly closing it behind him. _Now, where would she keep it?_

Deciding to start with her research notes, the young half-elf began to shift through the various stacks of papers that Raine had compiled during their journey. _Man, does she have to write up a hundred pages _every_ time we find a new ruin?! _Genis put a pile of papers about the Balacruf Mausoleum to one side and another about the Triet ruins to another. Suddenly he found a small notebook at the bottom of a stack of more papers._ Gotcha!_

Kneeling down on the floor, Genis carefully opened the clasp on the book. Using the moonlight that was filtering through the window he started to flip through the book. He saw that the pages were filled from top to bottom with Raine's flowing script. At the top of each page was written the date. Searching for today's date, he soon found the entry he was looking for. _Okay, let's see…:_

'I thought that we would be at the Tower of Salvation by now and hopefully with the Eternal Sword in our hands. But our journey was delayed once again. Poor Presea's down with a cold that seems to be passing around Flanoir. I long to study the Eternal Sword up close, but I suppose the welfare of our comrades must come first. Hopefully by tomorrow morning we should be able to continue on our way.

On the other hand, all this free time has given me a wonderful opportunity to resume by study of the ancient Asgard civilisation. I've discovered that--'

"Is this all she writes about?!" Genis hissed through his teeth. He was suppressing the urge to bang his head on the wall. _I'm never going to find out what happened!_ Another voice, the more sensible one, in his head told him to give up. Nothing happened, she was just out for a walk. But of course he didn't heed it and continued to search. _Maybe it's at the end of the entry?_

Skipping to the end of the passage, he read the last paragraph.

_'I hope Genis will get some rest, he's been worried about Presea non-stop since she first fell with a fever--'_

"Do I have to read through this whole thing just to find out what happened?!" Exclaimed Genis. His eyes widened and he clamped his hand over his mouth as he realized that he had just yelled that out loud.

Suddenly the lights turned on and his face blanched considerably as he saw a shadow loom over his kneeling body.

"Genis…" Raine growled ominously. The half-elf gulped and turned his head slowly to regard his sister. Her face showed obvious anger and her eyes narrowed at her younger brother. "What are you doing here? And what are you doing with my journal?!"

"Uh, I-I can explain! I, uh, was looking for… um… notes about the Thoda Geyser! Yeah, the Thoda Geyser…" Genis smiled weakly.

"Genis, don't lie. I know as well as you do that you're not interested in ruins, that notes on the Thoda Geyser would NOT be in my journal and that you SHOULD be asleep!!" Raine cried. She then approached her brother and picked him up with one arm. Then the hand came down…

"AHH! Raine!!!"

* * *

The next morning, everyone was rested and refreshed. Except for Genis perhaps. He seemed sore and refused to sit down. Whenever anyone asked, he would simply reply with and "You don't want to know." Luckily, Presea was feeling much better that day, which meant that they could be on their way. After a long talk about what they'd do next, the group prepared for the long ride ahead. Hopping on their rheairds, they took to the eastern skies.

Once they levelled out, Raine reached behind her, into her pack and pulled out her journal. Steering with one hand, she flipped through the pages until she came to her latest entry. _So Genis was going through my journal, was he? Hmm, I'll bet that he was trying to figure out what I was doing last night. _She smiled to herself. _Such a shame that he missed the few sentences that I did write about my little walk._ _But I'll have to be more careful next time. I can't imagine what would happen if Genis were to find out…_

"Oh, Raaiinnee!" Zelos called, zooming up to her.

"Ahh!" She cried, nearly falling off her rheaird. "Zelos! Don't scare me like that!" Raine sighed with relief as she finally managed to balance herself once more. Zelos grinned sheepishly, but his eyes lit up with curiosity when they fell upon Raine's journal.

"Ooh, what's that?"

"Huh?" Raine looked at the notebook she clutched in her hands. "It's none of your business." She replied simply. Of course, since it _was_ Zelos that she was talking to, the matter couldn't be left alone.

"So, what is it? Come on, let me see!" He continued to probe.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"… Pretty please?"

"I said no!" She replied with a glare. Zelos's face fell; she obviously wasn't going to let him see whatever was in the little booklet she held. But as she was about to return her journal to it's proper place, Zelos was struck with a "brilliant" idea.

"Look! A really big ruin!" He cried and pointed in the opposite direction.

"What?! Where?!" Raine's head whipped around, her hand temporarily forgetting about the object that it held. Zelos, being the clever Chosen that he is, took the opportunity to snatch the little booklet from Raine.

"I wonder what's in here?" He asked himself. "I bet it's filled with declarations of her undying love for me!"

"There's no ruin… ZELOS!" She turned, furious, to confront the one-minded chosen. But her face blanched when she saw her journal in his hands. "My-my journal!"

"Oh, is _that_ what this is?" He replied. Then being the _stupid_ Chosen he is, he proceeded to let go of his handlebars and opened the journal.

"Zelos! Give that back to me this instant!" Demanded Raine. She was quite furious at him right now. "Did you not hear me?! I said-- Ze-Zelos! Your rhea--"

"My wha-- AHHH!!!" As I said before, Zelos, being the stupid Chosen he is, had let go of his handlebars, causing his rheaird to lose stability. Which in turn caused him to--you guessed it--fall.

"AHHH! HEELLPP!!" His cry for aid turned everyone's head. Their jaws dropped one by one at the sight before them.

"Oh… my… god…" They gasped, shocked.

"… Do we have to rescue him?" Genis asked as Zelos continued to plummet… and scream.

"Hang on Zelos!" Lloyd sighed and raced to catch Zelos before sweet Mother Earth did. In the mean time, Sheena attempted to recover Zelos's rheaird.

After catching Zelos, Lloyd landed. The others soon joined him.

"Zelos, are you okay?" Colette asked, walking over to him and Lloyd.

"I'm fine, sweet Colette."

"How in the world did you fall off your rheaird anyway?" Sheena demanded with a frown.

"Yes, I'm curious as to the answer of that question, also." Added Regal. Zelos shrugged.

"I let go of the handles when I was trying to read Raine's journal."

"You were doing what?!" Sheena exclaimed incredulously. The rest of them were equally surprised at Zelos for doing such a violating action.

"I thought that journal's were private keepsakes with recordings of ones life…?" Asked Presea slowly.

"That's because they are." Lloyd answered bluntly.

"Speaking of which, I'd like my journal back now if you don't mind!" Raine held her hand out, her face red. Zelos's eyes went wide, then a meek smile stretched across his lips.

"Hehe… well, you see, since I was kinda falling from the sky… and it _was_ a life threatening situation… I uh, sort of…"

"Sort of what?" She inquired, eyes narrowing, but she had a bad feeling that she already knew the answer.

"… Dropped it…" Zelos replied in a small voice, afraid of what might happen to him next. "Uh, no hard feelings?" The rest of them shrank back as Raine's eyes flared up.

"You DROPPED my journal?! Do you know how much information I stored in there?! 'No hard feelings?' Oh, I'm sure!"

"I feel sorry for Zelos, he's got it coming…" Lloyd whispered to Genis. The young half-elf nodded in agreement. They all winced as Zelos screamed, which was then followed by a loud thud. Opening their eyes slowly they saw Zelos, on his back, out cold, and a clean ten feet away from where he was standing mere seconds ago.

"Hmph, shall we be on our way?" Raine asked, dusting off her hands. All stared silently at her, but nodded and climbed aboard their rheairds. Poor Zelos was slung across his own rheaird and towed along by Regal.

The Tower of Salvation was soon in their sights. The moment of truth would soon come for all of them, especially Lloyd. Yet all Raine could seem to think of was a single seraphim.

FireEdge: Ha! I did a longish chapter! If anyone calls that short, I swear, I will kill myself!

Genis: Really?

FireEdge: No. But who else thinks that Zelos sounds more like Sain then Zelos?

Zelos: Just a question. Why did _I _have to fall of my rheaird?!

FireEdge: Don't blame me, you had it coming. And it might also be the fact that I'm listening to the Kirby theme while I was typing this… just a note, don't listen to that and type at the same time. It gets very annoying and the tune gets stuck in your head so easily… -=Starts banging head on desk=- Get… it… out…!

Genis: Sigh. Please review.

-=FireEdge=-


	4. Chapter 4

FireEdge: Okay, I'm back. I lost track of how long it's been since I last updated. But then again my schedule of updating is always messed up…

Genis/Zelos: Just like you! :)

FireEdge: Go away…

Reviews:

Sandrilene fa Toren: Yeah, I don't think I'd manage 10 feet. Maybe 5, but not 10.

Ebi Ryu: Yes, I agree with you about Zelos. And thank you!

SilverKidia: I have a fan club?

Genis: You wish.

me: Yay! I don't have to kill myself! But what's hari kuri?

Lloydlover26: Hehe, you might find out what she wrote this chapter, or you might not…

Noin Marquise: Thank you!

SweetMisery430: Yeah, Genis's my fav character too, but Raine just _has_ to hit him you know? Or it wouldn't be Raine! Yup, Zelos is definitely more perverted than Sain. But he seems to get more girls than Sain too…

Devil's Little Sister: Thank you!

Waddle Freakin' Dee: I could too! That's why I wrote it!

Malachi: I'm glad you were satisfied with my answer! And thank you for the compliment!

potter29vo: Heh, you remind me of TheOneAndOnlyT. In my other fic, he always wants a lot of romantic stuff in it. :P But there will be romantic scenes (at least I hope it's romantic O.o) in this chapter! :)

Trevor X1: I don't hate Zelos, but he does bug me… I think it's his hair… Anyway, you don't have to worry about me taking too long to update. The longest time you'll have to wait is probably two weeks. Maybe a bit longer when school starts. (I'm canadian, school hasn't started for me yet)

Alice Kaiba: Yes, they are! Go Fire Emblem and ToS! Whoo!

Kratos Aurion: Hehe, yes he did. But unfortunately we cannot kill off Zelos… yet… Oh crap! Shouldn't have said that! … Anyway, the plot seems a bit fast right now, but I'm trying to slow it down in the next few chapters or so.

Shadow's Pain: Thanks for reviewing!

Disconsolate Seraph: Thank you for the compliments! I try and not have too many grammar or spelling errors. But as for the review responses, I find it more appropriate at the beginning. Sorry for any inconveniences! But I never expected so many reviews! ;;

Destiny's Light (x3): Yeah, Kratos fics seem to be more interesting, I'm not sure why. And thank you for the complements on my past chapters!

Ragnarok-legend: Don't worry about it! Yup, Zelos had it coming. I find Regal funny!

Serpentine Rose (x2): Wow, it's still too short? Okay, I'll try and make them longer. Who knows whom will find Raine's journal, but you'll find out this chapter! ;) And about that song, I found the lyrics, but I can't seem to find the music for it… Heh, that is pretty ironic about how you were looking for a KratosRaine fic and you found mine! :P

AbercromB: I'm glad you like this pairing, even if you've never heard of it before!

Tsutanai Shikaku: Lloyd isn't too bright is he? Hehe, you're pretty good at guessing! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Midnight Visit

Chapter 4

Kratos walked warily through the dense forest, as he slowly made his way towards the Tower of Salvation. With his hand on his hilt, he peered at the shadows that lay all around. Seeing nothing suspicious, he looked up at the sky. The sun had already climbed its peak and hovered brightly in the southern sky. _Hmm… It's getting late, I should hurry. Lloyd and the others will be there soon. _He thought to himself. Then another voice in his head added. _And Raine_. Kratos shook his head. What in the world had made him think of that?!

Lately his mind seemed to wander more and more towards thoughts about the half-elf. He was starting to wonder what was wrong with him. The only time he had ever felt that way was when he had been with Anna… _When I had been with Anna? …No, it can't be that. I'm just imagining things._

Choosing to ignore his thoughts, before they went out of hand, he continued on his way. Suddenly, as he took a step forward, he stumbled upon something on the ground. Looking behind him, he saw that it was a small booklet.

"What's this?" He leaned over and picked up the booklet. Turning it over in his hands, he figured it was a journal of some sorts. Opening the cover to see if it had a name in it, he came across pages upon pages of flowing writing. Looking on the inside cover, he read the name: Raine Sage. His eyes shot wide open and he closed the journal immediately with a quick snap, his face a pale shade of pink. _How in the world?! If this is Raine's, how did it get here?!_ _And more importantly, what do I do with it?!_

Kratos continued to stare at the small leather-bound journal resting in his hands. He figured that he should return it. But another side of him, one that had nearly disappeared from when he was a child, told him to open it and skim through it. His face turned red from even thinking such thoughts. _What in the world am I thinking?! Ugh… I've spent too much time with Lloyd…I'd better return to the Tower before all my sanity is lost._

Stuffing the journal into his pouch, he proceeded on his way to the Tower of Salvation. But before he took more than a few steps, a monster leapt out at him. _Damn! Let my guard down!_ He cursed to himself as he barely raised his sword to parry off the swing of the ghoul's arms.

"Lightning Blade!" He yelled as he thrusted forward with his sword, sending a strike of lighting down upon his foe. With a few more slashes of his blade, the ghoul soon fell.

"Arrg!" Kratos could feel fangs sinking into his right leg as he tried to turn. He barely held on to his sword, as he felt poison seeping into his veins. "Damn…" As he dealt a quick strike, knocking the red mantis back, he reached into his pouch, searching for a Panacea bottle. Just as he lifted the vial up to his lips, he was knocked to the ground by the red mantis. The bottle fell from his hand and shattered onto the ground.

"Stupid…" He picked himself off the ground, even now feeling the energy draining from him due to the poison. At the moment he wished dearly for a healer. Four thousand years ago, he didn't even have to worry about poison or any other ailments for that matter. Martel had always been there, healing him from the back lines. And more recently so, it had been Raine who had taken on that role. _Hmph, there she is again. Showing up in my thoughts…_

"Light Spear!" With as much strength as he could muster, he slashed upwards, sending the monster into the air, and cut down. With a stab, the monster disintegrated into black vapour. _Of course, Raine seems to have more than just half-elf hating humans or monsters after her, unlike Martel._ He thought as he pulled out another Panacea bottle. _She has a fan club…_ The red-haired man quickly drank the mixture, feeling relief rush through him as the poison was cleansed from his body. He then chewed up an apple gel. _It's a wonder why. But I can still remember that one time in Triet…

* * *

_

_"Wow! So this is Triet!" Colette gasped as they entered the small desert town._

"Yes. But we aren't here to sight-see." Replied Kratos, already starting towards the inn. "We're just here to stock up on supplies and rest. Then we'll be on our--" He was cut off by a yell.

"AHH!" Raine, who had been a few feet behind him, cried.

"Professor?! What's wrong?" Colette asked, looking around. The mercenary did the same, but he spotted nothing astray. Suddenly, his eyes, along with the Chosen's widened. There, coming towards them in a cloud of smoke were a mob of people, mostly men.

"Professor Sage!"

"It's really her!"

"Please, can I have your autograph?!"

"Do you really have the ancient Crown of Earth?"

"May I view your archaeological findings?" Dozens of voices yelled out at her as they started crowding around her.

"What in the…" Kratos stared in misbelief.

"Um… I think they're fans of the Professor…" Answered Colette.

"Uh…!" Raine started backing away from the crowd, but to no avail. "Um…please, I-I'm busy at the moment!"

"We just want to-- Wait!" The crowd yelled as she broke out into a run, desperate to get away from the giant mob. The giant horde then started chasing after her, pushing Kratos and Colette along with them.

"Um, Kratos?" Colette started as she was being elbowed along by Raine's fan club. "Maybe we should do something?"

"Understood." He nodded. Using brute force, he pushed and shoved his way to the front of the group and after sprinting a ways ahead of them, he drew his sword. He then lunged forward and smacked a few of them lightly with the blunt side of his blade.

"Back off, now." The red-haired mercenary growled. He himself was quite annoyed also. They were drawing far too much attention. The crowd stopped and stared at him with wide eyes filled with fear. "You will leave her be, or suffer…" The mob all gulped and turned tail and ran.

"Th-Thank you…" Raine sighed, coming up behind him, panting.

"Hmph." He replied, sheathing his sword. "We don't need attention to be drawn to us. Let us leave here soon." The silver-haired elf-woman nodded.

"Professor! Are you okay?!" Colette came running up to them. "Whoa!" Suddenly the blonde girl tripped as she approached them.

"Colette!"

"Chosen!" The two adults cried in unison as Colette collided with the side of a nearby house. Both their eyes widened as the young girl fell through the wall, leaving an imprint of her figure on the way through.

"Uh… yes, I think leaving as soon as possible might be a good idea…"

* * *

He chuckled to himself at the memory. The angel was sure that the people of Triet would never forget that building for a long time. He sighed. _But I don't have time to be thinking about past memories. It's not like they matter, either way._ The man then proceeded forward.

Soon he was out of the forest and was walking on bountiful grasslands. After a few hours of walking and one or two battles with a few monsters, the Seraphim was slightly exhausted, but more parched than anything else. He was used to going hours on end without water, but he hadn't drunken anything since last night.

Opening his water skin, he growled slightly, seeing that it was empty. How careless of him to forget to fill it up. Looking around, he spotted a small lake a little to the west of him. Walking up to it, he bent over and examined the water. It looked safe enough and didn't seem to be contaminated in any way.

Dipping his hands in, he scooped up the water and drank it. It was clear and cold. Staring at the water, he could tell that the lake was quite deep. Even his heightened vision could not pierce the penetrating darkness of its waters. As he stared, lost in the waters that rippled lightly from the breeze, his mind drifted off once more. Drifted to memories of the ocean…

* * *

The mercenary stared at the "boats" that were to take them to Thoda Island, the location of the next seal. He could not believe that they had to travel across the ocean in these… washtubs…

"Come on, guys!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Replied Genis.

"Heehee, this looks like fun!" Said Colette enthusiastically. The young elf boy sighed, and shrugged.

"I guess we don't have a choice do we?"

"So it seems." Added Kratos. But Raine took a step back.

"There is no way that I'm going to cross the… ocean… especially in those things!"

"Come on, Raine!" Her younger brother urged. "We have to!" He grabbed onto the arm of his sister and started to tug at her to get into the boat.

"AHHH!" She let out a yell. They all froze mouths agape. Even Kratos's jaw went slack. Everyone stared at her questioningly.

"Ahh?" Lloyd finally broke the silence. Raine's face flushed red.

"Uh… I-I mean… Ahh! This should be fun!" She quickly regained her posture and strode towards the "boats" with a noticeable gulp. The others blinked once, but then decided not to probe any further.

"I want to go with Lloyd!" Colette said happily.

"Okay, sure!" Replied Lloyd with a big grin. Kratos frowned.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. If something were to happen, I do not think you capable of protecting the Chosen."

"Hmph. Like you could do any better!" Lloyd snapped back.

"Please Kratos? Just this once?" Colette pleaded, giving him a look that was sure to melt even the coldest heart.

"Ugh… fine…" He replied slowly through clenched teeth.

"Alright!" Cried Lloyd happily. "But whose going to ride with Noishe?"

"What?!" They all exclaimed.

"We're taking Noishe with us across the ocean?!" Genis asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah…"

"But aren't these washtubs, well, kinda small?" Genis replied.

"So… I guess that you'll have to ride with him, Genis. You being the smallest and all!" Lloyd grinned.

"What?!" The elf boy protested.

"Genis can't go by himself! He's much to small!" Replied Raine.

"Yeah, but… I doubt that you or Kratos could fit in with Noishe." Lloyd shrugged.

"It's okay, sis! I can handle it! I'm big enough!" He puffed out his chest. Now that his sister went against it, he actually wanted to go with Noishe by himself.

"This is absurd." Added Kratos.

"Yes, I agree." Said Raine.

"Well, if you agree with each other, then you two will share a boat!" Lloyd answered, as he climbed into one of the washtubs with Colette. "And if you're both so worried about us, then you can be in the rear, watching us!" Genis then pushed a very nervous Noishe into another washtub and jumped in himself.

"I guess… we have no choice…" Raine frowed.

"So it seems…" Kratos sighed and climbed into the next washtub. Raine swallowed another gulp but followed him.

The ride was relatively calm and uneventful. Though Raine gripped the side of the washtub fearfully and stared ahead with a blank look in her eyes. Kratos observed her from the corner of his eye. He wondered why she had a fear of water. He wasn't sure if it was a fear of water or not, but it seemed the most likely solution. Deciding he had nothing else to do, the mercenary opened his mouth.

"Are you afraid of the water?" The question surprised Raine. She turned to face him abruptly.

"Ex-Excuse me?!" Her face was slightly flushed.

"It's obvious." Kratos replied, his face was emotionless. "If it's too personal, you don't have to talk about it… But it's better to tell someone." Hmph, I'm giving out advice that I don't even use myself…_ He thought to himself. Raine cast down her eyes._

"When I was with my mother and father, we were being chased. So we fled onto a ship. But even then, the pursuers caught up to us… and I fell into the ocean." She looked away, biting her bottom lip. "It was winter, and the water was painfully cold. I was swept away by the currents… I thought I was going to die… Even now, whenever I look at large bodies of water, I can feel the freezing waters cutting into my skin…"

"…I see." They fell silent once more. Suddenly the boat lurched slightly as a rather large wave lashed at them.

"AHH!" Raine screamed. Up ahead, he saw that Lloyd was holding tight to Colette and that Genis was practically buried underneath Noishe. Now knowing about her tremendous fear of water, he felt guilty if he didn't do anything, especially if she fell out of the boat. Reaching out, he managed to hook his arm around her waist and pull her close next to him, as the boat lurched again.

Raine turned red considerably, but held tight to his arm. Luckily the waves stopped after a few minutes. He then slowly released her from his grasp.

"Th-Thank you…" She stammered, her face still flushed. Kratos nodded, and stared ahead.

* * *

Kratos stood up slowly from his kneeling position, and brushed the grass off of his pants. _Tsk, I'm daydreaming now… I can't get sidetracked, I need to get to the Tower of Salvation._ Running a hand through his messy hair, he started towards the Tower, which was just in his sights. It was perhaps only an hour's walk away.

The Tower looked magnificent in the slowly sinking sun. Most people would love to explore such a magnificent building. But few have such privileges. Though the sight inside it's wondrous shell was slightly grotesque to those who have seen it. It wasn't exactly the wonderful ruin most scholars thought it to be. _Even Raine was surprised at its contents. Hmm, but her fascination with ancient ruins is… amazing. She'd even risk her own safety to explore them. Just like that time in Asgard…

* * *

_

They all stood outside of Aisha and Linar's house as they waited for Raine to change. They were all surprised that Raine would actually take Aisha's place as the dancer to just have closer examination of the ruin.

Suddenly the door creaked open. All their jaws dropped, even Kratos's brows raised slightly. He had to admit she looked quite beautiful. The outfit wrapped tightly around her body, showing off her figure.

"R-Raine! Are you really going to go through with this?!" Genis asked. Raine nodded defiantly and picked up her staff.

"Yes, Genis. Now let's go." Following her, they climbed the large steps up to the stone dais. Looking around, Kratos saw that Raine had quite an audience. When she climbed onto the dais, everyone silenced and stared at her. To the slight aggravation of Kratos, many of the men's jaws dropped at the sight of her. He didn't know why he felt this tug of annoyance inside of him, but he decided to ignore it and instead watched as Raine started the ritual.

Everyone who watched was entranced as she knelt on the dais. She then picked up her staff and walked a tour about the platform and tapped several circles on top of it with careful precision.

Kratos's eyes followed her every movement, from each step she took, to every movement of her staff. He didn't realize how entranced he was until Colette called his name several times.

"Kratos? Kratos? Kratos?!"

"…Hmm?" He snapped from his reverie. Colette stared at him quizzically.

"Kratos, your face looks a bit red." Her head tilted to one side slightly as she blinked up at him. The statement caused him to flush more.

"I… was thinking about something…" He replied as he finally got his emotions under control and his face returned to normal.

"Oh, okay! I thought that you were getting really hot!" The bright Chosen smiled. Kratos opened his mouth, but then closed it again, knowing that trying to question her would be meaningless.

After watching the remainder of the ritual, they were faced with the "Wind Spirit." Kratos was surprised that he didn't kill himself, for he constantly found himself staring at Raine. Luckily, no one spotted him acting queerly and the battle went quite smoothly. When it was all over, they found the Map of Balacruf. Raine then left with Linar to research it. He noticed, with a scowl, that Linar looked quite happy to be researching Raine, too happy.

What was this feeling he was experiencing. It was an emotion that made him uncomfortable, and angry whenever he spied Linar looking at Raine with wide eyes… Was it jealousy?

His frown deepened. Shaking his head he looked away and resumed his normal emotionless mask.

* * *

Kratos stood at the entrance of the Tower of Salvation. Letting out a defeated sigh, he slowly climbed the illusionary steps up to the doorway. Stepping through, he warped to the next area. His brows raised slightly as he looked around slowly. The place around the Eternal Sword's altar was stained with blood. _Hmm, looks like they got here already. There must have been a fight… Mithos, what did you do?_

Gripping his sword hilt tightly, he stepped onto the next warp._ …I…I have to help them…_

FireEdge: Oh my god! I can't believe I just wrote that much! O.o

Genis: Must be "inspiration."

Zelos: Why do I have a bad feeling about that blood?

FireEdge/Genis: …

FireEdge: Right, that was an extra long chapter for you! Hope you enjoyed it and please review!

--FireEdge--


	5. Chapter 5

I'm sorry for the late update! But you mix a massive writer's block, slight depression, school and you'd take forever to update too…

Genis: Wow, there's a first for everything… or everything to happen at once, anyway.

Zelos: That's weird…

FireEdge: And just a note, there are MAJOR spoilers for those who HAVE NOT gotten Kratos's ending. As in you had ZELOS in your party and NOT Kratos.

Reviews:

Destiny's Light: Hehe, you know the storyline better than I do! Haha, I'm joking. And you'll find out whose blood that is this chapter! ;)

potter29vo: Yes, I'm hoping that I can keep up with that kind of length for the next chapter! ;; Yes, and I got the idea for flashbacks in italics from you! And I loved that skit also, I couldn't stop laughing when I first read it. And don't worry, I was only referring to the fact that you and TheOneAndOnlyT are both romance saps! I know the other differences!

Detective Anna: Thank you!

Serpentine Rose (x2): Yes, I reread it and did find that some of the words sounded repetitive. And thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you think I've improved. And that's a good idea about Raine's past… I'll be sure to do something with that in later chapters. Heh, and that visual you imagined, I already have some ideas in my head. Though not for this story, I'm getting some ideas for another one. But I might not have that up for awhile… And as for your second review. I actually know that it's not that impossible, but if you look at the way Namco makes Kratos's personality and controls the storyline, it's pretty much impossible to achieve in the game itself. As for the ending, I haven't quite figured out how I want it to end, so…

RiddlenKid: Thanks for reviewing!

Kratos Aurion's Keeper: Thank you for the compliment! :)

Devil's Little Sister: Haha, I'm fixing it!

Josh (x2): Yeah… maybe they are…

Kitten Kisses: -Bowes- :P One day we will find out what is in her diary… but today is not that day. Don't worry, we will find out eventually! ;)

Tifa-Carbuncle: Thank you for the compliment! And I'm sure Zelos enjoyed that hug!

Zelos: Damn right, I do! No one respects me around here!

Willow-189: Thanks for the review!

SweetMisery430: Yeah, I think that's why girls like Zelos too, but I think they like his looks too, not sure why thought. :

Lloydlover26: Heh, don't worry, I won't abandon this fic!

Kristy: Yes, this is one of my favourite pairings too! Hehe, that's why I wrote it.

SilverKidia: Thanks! And as for RegalPresea… I don't really like that pairing; I'm more of a Gesea. I also like Regal with Alicia.

D.C.: Yeah, it's kinda hard to believe that cold ol' Kratos could fall in love, isn't it? :P

Disconsolate Seraph: Thank you and I'm glad that you don't mind the review thing anymore!

tyrantyoshi: You're hooked? Cool! Oh, and I've gotten both the Kratos and the Zelos ending. But if we want to be all technical, in this story, it's the Kratos ending.

TrevorX1: Yeah, poor Kratos, so confused. For once. And no he won't read the journal, but that doesn't mean someone else won't! ;)

Ragnarok-legend: Hehe, you're a poet and you didn't even know it!

Tsutanai Shikaku: I love tormenting people! :) I'm just kidding! I'm glad you liked my flashbacks!

S.R.: YAY! 100 reviews! I'm so happy! I never thought I'd ever get this many reviews with so little chapters!

Shadow Fox 05: Thank you!

murky burning: Yeah, I feel the same way when that happens in the game! But when you find out that Kratos is Lloyd's father, your hope goes down the drain. -.- I'm a fan of angstyish romance, so I'll definitly add some angst in it later on!

Kratos Aurion: Don't worry, this story will hopefully last for a decent amount of chapters!

Hamano Ayumi: Thank you!

Waddle Freakin' Dee: Heh, thanks!

AngelBabie4u: Thanks!

LateNiteSlacker (x3): You were going to write one if I hadn't? Wow! ;; Hehe, yeah, listening to music while you're typing isn't very smart, is it? Funny how you read it later to make it last longer! Thanks for the compliments!

Nanu-Kun: Yeah, I hoped, but it didn't. But here's the next update anyway!

countkata: Thanks for reviewing!

sea-tiger170: Yeah, I do have a lot of reviews don't I? I never expected so many when I first wrote this fic! ;;

Amazon Bunny: That's a good idea, but unfortunately, it's not Raine's…

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Midnight Visit

Chapter 5

They slowly entered the Tower of Salvation one by one. It was always an eerie place to be. With what looked like hundreds of coffins floating around. Raine shuddered slightly as she gazed at them again.

Stepping onto the warp pad, they all arrived at the next floor. Walking forward, their clinking footsteps came to a halt as they all stood in front of the Eternal Sword's altar.

"Well, Zelos?" Lloyd asked. Zelos smiled and waltzed up to the altar.

"I said I had everything under control, didn't I?" But his grin faded at the look everyone was giving him. "All right, all right! Colette, can you come here for a moment?"

"Huh? Me? Colette asked, a look of confusion on her face. "O-Okay." She then walked forward and stood next to Zelos. Suddenly they all heard a warping sound and, above the altar four forms started to take shape.

"What the--?!" Lloyd exclaimed. The figures then took shape into Pronyma and several angels.

"Good job, Chosen." Pronyma smiled.

"Why thank you, Lady Pronyma." Zelos replied. Pronyma then swooped down and grabbed Colette.

"AHH!" The girl let out a yell.

"Colette!" They all cried. All their eyes turned to Zelos.

"You!" Lloyd drew one of his swords. "How could you betray us?!"

"Betray you?" Pronyma laughed. "He was always on our side, isn't that right, Chosen?" Zelos closed his eyes and opened then again.

"That's right. I've been deceiving you from the start." He paused for a moment. Then looking at Pronyma, he started to speak again. "Lady Pronyma! Leave them to me! Take Colette and go!" Pronyma hesitated for a moment, but nodded slowly and warped away along with the rest of the angels. Leaving them all to look at Zelos expectantly.

"Ze-Zelos! Tell me this is all a joke!" Lloyd demanded again. The red-haired Chosen gazed at them with sad eyes.

"This is no joke, Lloyd." They all stood in silence, staring at him or staring at the ground. Raine frowned. Twice they had been betrayed. Twice she failed to protect Colette like she was suppose to. Phaidra had entrusted Colette's safety into her hands… and Kratos's… _But Kratos betrayed us, and put Colette's life--no, her humanity in jeopardy. Yet… I cannot be angry with him…_

From beside her, she could hear Sheena shifting. Looking up, she saw the ninja walk up next to Lloyd. Though the half-elf wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but the black-haired woman's eyes shone with unshed tears.

"Zelos… I always knew you were a pervert… But I never doubted that deep down inside, you were a good person." Zelos's eyes, full of regret and sorrow rested on Sheena.

"Why thank you, my voluptuous hunny." Sheena's eyes closed and a single tear fell down her face. But she said no more.

"Zelos… " Lloyd stepped up again. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Because Mithos said that he'd release me of my title as Chosen."

"What?!" They all stared at him with wide eyes full of shock.

"You did this just so that you didn't have to be Chosen anymore?" Demanded Lloyd furiously. Zelos turned away.

"Being Chosen has made my life an entire joke. Of course I don't want to be Chosen! Now Seles can be Chosen. Just like she wants to be." He then drew his sword. "If I'm not Chosen anymore, everyone will be happy."

"Fine. If that's the way you want it." Lloyd replied firmly. Behind him everyone understood. This was a fight. A fight to the finish. One of them wasn't going to live after this.

Raine gripped her staff tightly. _This is just like before. It's starting all over again. _Lloyd charged into battle, his twin swords flashing. _But this time it's Zelos, not Kratos._ She held up her staff as she finished conjuring her spell.

"Field Barrier!" She called out, as a protective aura surrounded everyone. As she prepared to concentrate on another spell, she spotted Sheena from the corner of her eye. The young woman was standing off to one side, trembling, clutching her cards tight in her hands. _She doesn't want to fight him… She must really love him…Sheena is… strong to be able not to just fight and run away from love… Unlike me._

"Nurse!" Her staff raised again to heal Lloyd and Presea as they both took hits from Zelos's sword. Beside her she could hear Genis muttering the incantations for a spell.

"Engulf this pathetic soul… Ground Dasher!" As Zelos was taking the damage from the massive earth spell, she saw that Sheena had looked away, unable to continue to watch.

But soon, the battle was over. Zelos collapsed, clutching a deep wound in his side as blood poured from it through his fingers.

"That was pretty good…" He said as he fell.

"Zelos…" Said Lloyd as he caught him. The red-haired Chosen smiled.

"… It's okay. To tell you the truth, I was getting tired of living anyway…"

"Don't talk like that!" Lloyd exclaimed. But Zelos acted like Lloyd hadn't uttered a word.

"Oh yeah, about Colette… She's below, in the hall of the Great Seed. Make sure you save her."

"W…Why did you fight us?" Lloyd asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Because my life was a mistake. But… once I'm gone… Seles might… be happier and … they'll finally let her out of that abbey…" He replied, a smile on his face. The other swordsman's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me that's why you…"

"Heheheh…" Zelos laughed, his voice hoarse. "Nah, that was just a bonus… Make sure you destroy my Cruxis… Crys… tal…" He muttered as his eyes slowly slid shut and his breathing became slower and soon stopped completely.

"… Damned… idiot…" Sheena cursed under her breathe, looking away. Tears trickled down her face. Looking at the red-haired man on the ground, Regal spoke up.

"What shall we do about Zelos's body. We cannot leave him here."

"You're right. But, I don't know what we can do with him…" Lloyd replied. Suddenly they heard a warping sound behind them. Spinning around, they saw that it was Orochi, and a few others from Mizuho. Orochi's eyes widened slightly. He then saw Sheena, her face streaked with tears. His gaze then went back to Zelos's body.

"We'll take care of him." He replied.

"Thank you, Orochi." Lloyd replied, seeing that Sheena wasn't able to say anything more at the moment. Walking up the steps, they stood upon the next warp.

* * *

The place they arrived at looked to be almost a labyrinth. The ground looked to be made of dirt, and the walls of stone. Giant tree roots sprawled everywhere. The ground, the walls, even the ceiling.

"Look at these tree roots! Where do you think they're all from?!" Asked Genis, with a gasp.

"I'm guessing they're from the Great Kharlan Tree." Raine answered, taking a close look at them. "But I'm sure the Sorcerer's Ring can burn through them with ease."

"Cool!" Lloyd jumped up in excitement. They all shook their heads. After such a devastating incident, he was overjoyed at the thought of burning tree roots.

As Lloyd started to blast everything with the Sorcerer's Ring, Raine dropped behind to talk with Regal.

"Regal… we need to talk…" She started.

"It's about Lloyd, isn't it?" The blue-haired man asked. The half-elf nodded.

"Yes… we have to take… priorities. And as you know, you're the only person I can really talk to about this…" She replied. Normally she would have talked about this with Kratos… _But he's not here anymore…_

Regal nodded. "We have to protect Lloyd at all cost. He's the only one who can stand up to Mithos…"

"That's right. We can't let Lloyd be hurt."

"Right."

* * *

They had already lost Regal and Sheena to this place. Lloyd didn't want to lose any more as he and the rest of the group ran into another room. Looking around they spotted a weird looking machine in the middle of the room. At the back, they could see a large steel door.

Lloyd ran up to it and pushed it with all his strength. But it didn't budge.

"Dammit, open!" He kicked the door to no avail. Raine then approached the machine in the middle.

"It looks like you can control it from here. Leave this to me." She replied as she started fiddling with it.

"Professor Sage, hurry!" Cried Lloyd. Raine frowned.

"Don't rush me… This is it." She said, a tinge of sadness in her voice as she finished entering the access code.

"You did it! Whoa!" Lloyd cheered as one of the doors slid open, but was cut off as the ground began to shake violently.

"Ahh!" Raine lost her balance as the ground shook underneath her. Suddenly behind her one of the tiles gave way and she fell. "Ow…!!" She yelped as she fell, hurting her self on the rough surface. Catching her self on the edge, she carefully pulled her self up. The ground then stopped shaking.

"Professor Sage! Are you okay?" Lloyd asked.

:"Yeah, Raine, be careful." Genis piped up beside him. Presea nodded in agreement. The young half-elf woman gave them a false smile.

"… I'm fine. I just made a minor input error." She replied.

"Be careful, okay?" Looking down at the machine, she continued to hack into its system.

"It's okay now. I'm opening the next door." As it slowly opened, a monster jumped at them.

"Another input error?" Lloyd asked, as they all backed away.

"No! Now hurry up and defeat it!" They all growled underneath their breaths but charged the monster. As they fought, Raine started working on the next door. As her fingers moved, her mind reeled with thoughts. _Am I doing the right thing? I know Lloyd won't like this… But I don't have a choice. Even if it costs me my life…_

"This is quite an intricate trap." She murmured to herself.

"Professor Sage, are you really making that many mistakes?" Lloyd asked, his voice annoyed by the delays. Suddenly realization dawned upon his youthful face. "Wiat, are you…"

"There's no time to worry about that! I'm opening the next one!"

"Not again!" They all cried as more monsters leapt out with the opening of the next door. As they ran through to get to the monster, the tiles behind them fell.

"What? Professor Sage! I knew it…" Raine looked at him, a determined look on her face.

"Lloyd, you need to focus on saving Colette right now! Don't get distracted!"

"… Grr" Lloyd growled. Genis and Presea also wore a frown on their faces as thy started to kill the monsters once more. As the last monster dropped dead to the floor, Lloyd turned quickly on his heels and ran back to Raine.

"Professor Sage, it's okay now! Hurry up and come--" Suddenly the ground shook even more vigourously than before. The tiles around Raine and the machine were quickly loosening and falling. Supporting himself with the wall as much as he can, Lloyd called out.

"Professor Sage!"

"Lloyd, this room will soon collapse. Hurry up and go." The half-elf replied, holding on to the machine for support.

"No! I'm not leaving you behind! I don't want to sacrifice anyone anymore!" He protested. Her brows raised at the remark.

"Sacrifice? When did anyone become a sacrifice? I believe in your ideals. A world that would accept those of us caught in the middle. I believe in your vision of the world. It has become my hope. I came all the way here in order to realize that dream. I've no regrets." She said. Though her voice hinted that some part of her speech was false. But Lloyd never noticed, he was so intent of saving her.

"Saving the world won't mean anything if we lose you!" He protested.

"He's right, Raine!" Genis yelled out from beside the swordsman.

"My soul will live on in the world you create. But if your ideals die, then my hope dies as well. Living on without hope is worse than death, don't you think?" Asked Raine.

"I… I don't understand that at all!" He replied defiantly. The silver-haired half-elf sighed.

"If you don't understand, then make use of your remaining life to think about what it means for a person to live. That's my final lesson to you as your teacher. Now, go. Do as your teacher says." She commanded. Her glare was enough to make both boys back off and start towards the warp.

"Professor Sage… I'll never forget you!"

"Raine!" Genis called out in a final good-bye. Presea said nothing, but a silent farewell was exchanged with a morose glance. As the three of them disappeared in the warp, Raine closed her eyes.

"The rest is in your hands, my precious student…"

* * *

Stepping off the warp, Kratos looked around. _Hmph, this pathetic labyrinth again._ He walked forward, stepping over the sprawling tree roots. A few more steps took him to another hall. Looking on the ground, he saw that the roots there had been burned. Scorch marks lay upon the ground.

Bending down, he felt the soot between his fingers. It was barely warm. They had been here perhaps twenty minutes ago. Dusting off his hands as he stood up, he continued on his way. He didn't need to follow the marks of the Sorcerer's Ring to know which way was which. He had to pass through this place before. And with his photographic memory, it was simple to traverse his way.

As he approached a doorway, he could hear the sounds of fighting behind the door. _What in the world is going on in there?_ The mercenary barged through, sword in hand.

In the tall circular room, he saw that Regal was fighting hordes of angel swordians and angle spearians. Seeing that the blue-haired convict was exhausted and on the verge of collapsing, Kratos spread his wings, giving him the look of authority. He then stepped into the centre of the room.

"STOP!" He commanded. The angels stared emotionlessly at the seraphim. Without hesitation, they flew from where they came, leaving Kratos and Regal alone. Turning to the hand-cuffed man, Kratos spoke.

"Are you alright? Where are Lloyd and the others?" His voice was calm and level. But his mind was reeling. Where are they?! Did they get themselves in trouble? Was Lloyd alright? … Was _Raine_ alright?

"I sincerely hope they are alright. But I don't know what has happened to them." Regal replied, standing up. "But I suppose I should thank you." Kratos nodded in acknowledgement.

"We should hurry and see if they're all okay." Nodding, the two men broke through the barricade that Regal had previously made and ran to the next warp.

Running down the winding staircase, they soon reached the bottom.

"What happened here?" Regal stared at the giant tree and the hole below it.

"It would seem that something was fired at the tree…" Kratos remarked. Suddenly, his sharp senses picked something up. Leaning near the hole, he heard a groaning sound coming from below.

"Is something down there?" Asked Regal, kneeling down next to Kratos.

"I think someone's down there. Stay here. I'll be back." Spreading his wings once more, the angel warily flew down the pit. After several moments of darkness, he alighted onto the ground.

Creating a fireball in his hand, he used the light to look around. His eyes widened as they rested on Sheena's unmoving form upon the ground. Walking over, he tested the pulse on the summoner's neck. A slow but steady beat could be felt underneath his fingers. Picking her up and hoisting her over his shoulder, he extinguished his flame and started to fly upwards.

"Sheena!" Regal exclaimed as Kratos appeared into view. Laying her down on the ground, he looked at Regal.

"Stay here and take care of her. I doubt that I could carry both you and her across at once, and we're running out of time. For now I'll search for the others and find you an alternate route." Without waiting for a response, Kratos flew across the gap and was soon on the other side of the warp.

* * *

Raine wondered about what she had said to Lloyd as she waited for her inevitable death. Had she really told him the truth? Did she really have no regrets? No she hadn't told Lloyd the truth. She _did_ have regrets…

* * *

Raine sat up from the position she was laying in. Her small body was wrapped in a thick blanket, keeping her warm. The swaying of the boat reminded her that it had only been yesterday that she had fallen out… fallen into the freezing waters…

Her eyes widened slight and she started shaking, despite the warm wool blanket that covered her.

Suddenly, the boat gave another lurch. Raine let out a cry as she was flung to the ground. As she tried to get up, the door burst open.

"F-Father?" She asked shakily, as the man came in. His face was worried and stressed. Kloitz walked over to his daughter and gently picked her up.

"Come on, Raine. We have to go."

"Go where?" She asked, her big blue eyes wide with fear.

"You don't have to worry about that. Now take your things."

"O-Okay…" She slipped from her fathers arms and carefully picked up the bag that her mother had prepared for her, before hand.

"I'm ready!" Kloitz smiled at his little girl.

"Come on." Picking her up, again, he walked out onto the deck. Looking around, Raine could see that they had stopped. Where were they? Craning her neck, the young half-elf saw her mother, holding Genis, her baby brother tight in her arms.

"Virginia… Let's go." Kloitz called to his wife. The other woman nodded. They slowly started off the plank, but suddenly lightning struck from the sky. Blacked planks lay where Kloitz had stood moments ago.

"They've caught up to us!" Yelled Kloitz. "Run, Raine!" He put the frightened girl down and drew out his bow. Running to the port side of the ship, he could see that another ship was near them. An elf mage lowered her staff. She was the one who had cast the spell. Many more elven mages and archers could be seen.

Kloitz took aim with his longbow, pulling back, his arrow struck the mage. From the other ship, the elf collapsed.

"How dare you wound our kind, you despicable human!" Another elf cried.

"I'll wound as many of you as I can, if it protects my family!" He roared back.

"Kloitz!" Virginia called.

"Go, Virginia! Take the children and go!" She heard his reply. The elven woman was torn. Hesitating a moment, she pulled Raine towards her.

"Mother?" The little girl asked, her eyes round with fear.

"Raine… be a good girl and take of your brother." Her mother replied. She tucked the newborn into Raine's arms, along with a bag of supplies. "Go to the other side. Go and live the life that I could not give you." Virginia gently pushed Raine towards the small island, towards the giant ring of rocks. Her cheeks were streaming with tears.

"M-Mother?!" Raine cried, clutching the crying baby Genis close to her.

"Go, Raine! GO!" Frightened, Raine turned and ran towards the center of the ring of rocks. Above her in the sky, the clouds moved, revealing a shining full moon. A beam of light fell a top the little half-elf, and a blinding white light covered her. Raine couldn't see, the next thing she knew, she was falling.

She landed with a light thump. Looking around, she saw that she was sitting on tall grass. It appeared to be night time. Beside, her Genis lay, crying.

"Oh! Genis!" She picked up her little brother. "Don't cry Genis!" She cooed, though tears flowed freely down her own cheeks.

Standing up, she picked up her things and started walking. As she walked, she soon saw the wooden gates of a village. Maybe I can get help there?_ She thought as she approached the gate._

"Who's there?!" A guard yelled out, hearing the snap of twigs. "Huh?" His eyes widened as a little girl with silver hair came into view. She was clutching an infant against her chest, holding a bag. Her large blue eyes were shining with tears.

"Please help me! Me and my brother were being chased, and our parents are gone! I-I don't know what to do! Please help me!" More tears formed in her eyes and she dropped to her knees. The soldier knelt down beside her.

"It's okay, little girl. We'll help you. Come on." He gently took the girl's hand and led her to someone he knew would take care of her.

Raine took the man's hand and let him lead her towards a large wooden house. The man knocked three times upon the door. She could hear footsteps coming from inside. As they slowed down, the door opened, revealing a woman who looked to be in her forties. The blonde woman's eyes widened as she saw the young girl with the guard.

"Oh my. What's going on?" She asked.

"Phaidra, this girl showed up at the gates. She said she was being chased and the she doesn't know where her parents are. I know the mayor won't really like us taking in strangers, but she's only a child. I couldn't just leave her out there with all those monsters and Desians!" The soldier replied. Phaidra nodded.

"Alright, I'll let her stay with me for the night, and see what we should do in the morning." Phaidra dismissed the guard and turned to Raine as he left. "What's your name?"

"I'm Raine, ma'am. This is my brother, Genis." She showed the woman her still crying brother. Phaidra smiled.

"Come in, Raine." She closed the door as the little girl walked in. "Would you like something to eat?" Raine nodded shyly. Sitting her down at the table, Phaidra called her son down.

"Frank!" A man in his 20's walked down the stairs at his mother's call. "Prepare some food for these children, will you?" The man nodded after seeing the two half-elves. He then hurried and started to cook something on the stove.

Phaidra then turned to Raine, as she took Genis into her arms.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Raine, ma'am. Raine Sage."

* * *

Raine never had the chance to repay Phaidra and Frank for their kindness. She never got to see Genis grow up into a healthy young man. She'll never see the new world that Lloyd was going to build. And most of all, she'll never see _his_ angelic features again…

Kratos warped through the portal. As he landed on the other side, he immediately felt rumbling.

"What's going on here?!" He quickly ran farther in, despite the massive earthquakes. As he neared the center of the room, the sight before him made his eyes widen.

Raine stood at the center of a pinnacle with a giant machine.

"Raine!" He called out. But she didn't hear him… the platform collapsed. The half-elf started to fall down the endless pit.

"RAINE!!!"

FireEdge: All done! Sorry if this chapter is short. And I also apologize for the choppy beginning. I'll try and make up for it, next chapter. Please tell me if I have any grammer/spelling mistakes as I do not have too much time to read this over...

Genis: Uh huh…

Zelos: I'm dead?! How am I still here?!

FireEdge: Plot holes, my pathetic muse, plot holes. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep…

Genis: Please review…

Zelos: X.x

--FireEdge--

__


	6. Chapter 6

I STILL LIVE! Yes, this fic is still alive. I've just been stumped lately, and I've been trying to focus on my other fic. But at the moment, I've been encountering a writer's block with _Stray Arrow_, so aren't you lucky! I'm updating this!!

Genis: You're gonna be mauled by some really angry people.

Zelos: Yeah! And my fangirls, for killing me off!

FireEdge: You know what… just… just… shut up!

Reviews:

Queen Strife: Uh oh. This isn't a fast update! I'd better run!

scaragh: Yeah, it is pretty cruel having to kill off the funny guy. Thanks for the compliments!

Lloydlover26: Hehe, I'm evil aren't I?

Trevor X1: Haha. That's hilarious! Yes, I've always wondered how he did that myself, so why not write it? And you're very welcome for the review.

Willow-189: I'm sorry! I took a long time to do this chapter too!

Hamano Ayumi: You updated, but I didn't. That doesn't seem fair… But yeah… meep.

SilverKidia: RegalRaine… ewww…

Cool Reviewer: Thank you!

LateNiteSlacker: Thanks! Dum, dum, dum. Dramatic rescue coming right up!

SweetMisery430: I had some spelling/grammar mistakes? Well serves me right for typing it up in the middle of the night… Yes, romance. There will be some of it in this chapter! Wait, maybe a lot of it. Hmm, I don't know.

Kitten Kisses: Stupid typos… Anyway, I love spoilers too. :) But the ending isn't really that different. It's really the Zelos killing part that spoils mostly.

D.C.: Hehe, narrator.

Tifa-Carbuncle: Awww, I feel for you. Zelos was an idiot, but a funny idiot.

Quistis-lm: It's okay, you didn't review for a long time. I didn't update for a long time. It all works out. :P Yes, updates will be slow, unfortunately.

potter29vo: … Oops… I suppose killing Zelos was a bad thing, right? Ehehehe. But thanks for the comments anyway, Minnie or Sheena. Or whoever it is… dizzy…

Nanu-kun: Thanks for the review!

Ragnarok-legend: Sorry Ragnarok, but I'm just plain busy and kinda lazy these days. But look on the bright side. _Stray Arrow_ is making good progress!

: Sorry Ragnarok, but I'm just plain busy and kinda lazy these days. But look on the bright side. is making good progress!

person: Thanks! And no… it's not normal to spell it like that…

angel white: Thanks for the review! And yes, they are such a cute couple, who could resist them?

The Spear of Longinus: Ooh, okay. Nice name change. Yes… this is slow…

Tiffany: I'm writing more… now… Hehe…

Kazaana the Furyou Houshi: So you didn't move during that whole time? Just out of curiosity, do you still live?

FEAR MY BIAS!!: XD I fear! Wow, I'm a wicked writer? Cool. And yes, all who do not see the light… are in the dark…

GirlyButTough: I know it's mean… But I can't help it! Lazyness (and stupid homework) calls! AHHH!

Kratos Aurion: Don't worry, she's still alive. :)

Forest Liger: Haha, I have nothing against Anna. But Kraine is just too adorable to pass up.

Destiny's Light: You just keep on guessing what I'm going to write, don't you?

lalala: Hehe. I know I'm mean. Oh, and to get Zelos, you have to have a high relationship (higher than that of Zelos's) with Kratos. Then in Flanoir, there will be three people who ask you to go for a walk with them. If your relationship is high enough, you'll hear Kratos's voice call you outside. Choose to go outside with him and when you reach the Tower of Salvation, you'll fight Zelos.

Flint: Oh don't worry, I wouldn't have a story if Raine died now would I?

Toboe-Angel: Thanks! Well, I'm updating now, I suppose.

Alouete: Wow, thank you! I'll keep up my work!

Kitsune-Flame: Yes, I have a tendency to make cliffhangers…

Zaki: Yeah, I'm sorry if I spoiled anything for you! And thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Midnight Visit

Chapter 6

"RAINE!" He yelled, seeing the half-elf plummet. _N-No! I can't let another one die… not again…_ Anna's death flashed before his mind's eye. Her transformation into a monster. Her voice in his mind, telling him to kill her… And his sword striking her down. Killing her with his own hands.

Her long brown hair fell in locks about his arms. Her eyes were closed her beautiful face pale with death. He could still smell her blood around him. On him. How he had cradled her in his arms, trying to revive her. But it was too late. She was dead. Suddenly the image was altered, twisted. Anna disappeared, her features replaced by those of Raine's.

_I won't let that happen again!_ Kratos thought furiously, shaking his head, desperately trying to clear his mind. Beautiful luminous wings sprouted from his, spreading magnificently in a radiant indigo. The angel pushed off the quivering ground and shot towards the hole in the centre of the room, his aerodynamic body approaching Raine's.

* * *

Raine's eyes were screwed shut. She didn't really want to see herself plummeting to her death. Who would have thought she would die this way? But what did she expect? To die of old age? She was a half-elf, who knew how long she could live. And she would most likely die before then anyway. She was prosecuted for being a half-elf. She'd most likely be killed by an angry mob, or assassinated. 

_A fitting end for someone like me, I suppose._ She thought solemnly to herself. Raine could feel the damp air swirling around her as she fell. She could hear the low whiz of passing rocks and walls around her. Suddenly she had a bad premonition…

"Ugh!" She grunted as she felt herself slam against something hard. She felt her head crack against a rock and then everything went black.

* * *

Kratos's eyes widened and he started to panic inside of him, when he saw Raine slam against the side of the wall below him. Somehow the blow seemed to make Raine fall faster. Faster than he could reach her. 

"No!" He said through clenched teeth. "I won't let her die. I won't!" Despite his words, Raine continued to fall… until the darkness enveloped her and he couldn't see her anymore.

He hesitated as he lost track of the half-elf, but shot downwards once more. But when he followed her, he too was covered in a veil of darkness. This wasn't right. His eyes should have easily adjusted to the dim shadows, but he couldn't even see his hands. There was only a pale glow coming from the corners of his eyes, which he knew to be his wings.

_Damn it! Where is she?! I-I can't let her die… Where is she?!_ Kratos' thoughts were nearly hysterical. He had to find her. He _had_ to! The man would never forgive himself if he couldn't find her. If he couldn't save her, just like he couldn't save Anna.

He was worthless, absolutely worthless! How could he not have arrived sooner? How could he have been so ignorant? The angel continued to berate himself as he flew down desperately, his head swivelling, eyes ever searching.

He began to lose hope. He had lost her to this, what seemed to be infinite, pit. The flare died in his eyes, as his wing beats slowed. She was gone… It was inevitable. No one could have survived that fall, not for so long without already hitting the body. His eyes stung now, unwanted tears welling up. Tears of anger. Anger at himself for failing yet another.

Stopping in mid flight, he took a deep breath, calming himself. Trying to regain his composure. Even if she was gone, he had to be collected. He could not show the others this side of him. That's right, he was just another angel. A cold heartless angel… Who couldn't even save one measly life. Even at those thoughts, the tears started to dry up, he began to return to his normal state. The same business like mercenary that Lloyd and the others had first met.

But despite his outer coolness, inside he screamed. He felt like stabbing himself with his own sword. His hand gripped the sword at his side, tempted to draw it. But just as he started to unsheathe it unconsciously, something glimmered at the corner of his eye. His head immediately snapped in the direction he saw it. Gold, something gold shone.

A glimmer of hope arose inside him, his previous thoughts vanishing. Flying with renewed strength, he dashed down. After only mere seconds, he was at the bottom. He had only been a number of feet above the ground. But the strange darkness of the hole seemed to make everything seem dimmer, farther away.

"Heh…" He laughed to himself. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known that, yet he was once again being clouded of his better judgement. _I suppose that love really is blind… _Just as those thoughts passed through his head, he frowned at himself. Love? Was that what he _really_ felt right now?

Those thoughts he had the panic he felt at the chance of losing her. Were they really feelings of love? He never thought that he could feel it again. Not after he lost the first love of his life. By his own hands, no doubt.

Before his revelations could continue any farther, his eyes widened as his eyes rested on… Raine.

"Raine!" He nearly choked on the word. He found her! She was there, laying in front of him! The sight of her seemed to lift his heart utterly, but then he realized that she was on the brink of death.

"Idiot." Kratos muttered to himself, running towards the half-elf. Kneeling down, he lifted her torso with his arms. Drying blood encrusted the top of her silver head. A trickle of it still rolled down her face. From where her cloths were torn, he could make out scratches and bruises. Most still fresh.

"First Aid!" He called out, closing his eyes. Holding her close to him, her head lolled on his arm. Opening his eyes, he studied her to see the spell's effect. The scrapes she had were gone, the skin healed, and smooth. The wound of her head still lingered. He knew that if he didn't heal that soon, she would die from loss of blood. With a quirk of his mouth he muttered another incantation under his breath.

"Healing Stream!" A dull brown aura surrounded Raine, a pale yellow light engulfing her. Mostly concentrated on her head. As the glow subsided, Kratos inspected the area, the wound was mostly gone, a small opening the only indication that she had ever been hurt. But her bleeding had stopped, and that was good enough for now.

Taking a lemon gel out of his pocket, he crushed it and let the liquid trickle on the wound. It was better that she was unconscious, it would have caused her pain otherwise. Getting another one, he let the contents drip into her mouth. Hopefully it should help her regain consciousness.

"Live Raine, live." Said Kratos, wiping the remains of the gel on his pants. Putting two fingers to her neck, he felt for her pulse. It was there, beating as it would as if she were in a deep sleep. With a sigh of relief, he gingerly picked her up. Letting her head rest on his shoulder, he pushed off the ground with a grunt. Healing her had taken more energy than he had thought it would.

In mere minutes, he reached the top of the pit. Funny, it felt like hours going down. But all was well. Landing on the ground beside the hold, he noticed that it had stopped shaking. Starting to walk towards the warp pad he had come from, he heard a creaking sound behind him. Whirling around he caught just in time the sight of the giant machine, balanced on that pinnacle of stone, topple over. With a sharp gasp, he heard the mechanism crash on the bottom of the hole.

If he had been even a few seconds slower… He didn't want to think about it. Turning around, he walked silently towards the warp portal. Stepping on it, he let out a sigh.

"You still have work ahead of you, Kratos…" The seraphim said to himself. The light of the warp shone beneath him and he was soon whisked away, back to the room where he had left Regal and Sheena.

As he landed, Regal looked up. Sheena was sitting, it seemed that she was better now. Though she looked a bit roughed up still. It was obvious however that the blue-haired man had used his healing skills to help her. Kratos could just barely make out old tear tracks on her cheeks. He didn't even have to ask to know that she had been crying for the Chosen of Tethe'alla. Her love for him was painfully obvious for the angel.

"Kratos!" They both exclaimed in unison. Their eyes then darted to the unconscious professor in his arms.

"Raine!" The two cried. Sheena immediately bound to her feet, running up to the purple-clad man.

"Is she okay? What happened? Did you see the others?" She let out an onslaught of questions. Regal was right behind her a slip second later.

"Yes, and have you found a way to get us to Lloyd? I have a feeling that he might be needing our help…" Added Regal. Kratos' shoulders sagged slightly. He just realized how tired he felt. But he couldn't stop now. He never could. Not after all the sins he had committed.

"… Raine was hurt, badly. But I managed to heal her." He said slowly. "I don't know where the others are, but I think that they have proceeded ahead."

"I see… So like Regal said, is there any way to join them?" Asked Sheena, more calmed after hearing that their comrade was okay. She had never liked Raine too much, but she was growing more favourable of the woman, and certainly did not wish to see her dead.

"I'm not sure… But I think there might be a secret passage in this room somewhere…" Kratos replied, scanning the room. He never put Raine down, or gave her to Regal. He didn't care if they noticed this or not, but he was not leaving her until it was necessary.

"There." His auburn eyes finally rested on a part of the wall. It looked like any other area of the room, but if one studied it hard enough, you could notice something strange about it.

Walking up to it, the other two following him, he shifted the weight of Raine in his arms, and used one to press one of the stones. A shuddering sound betook the room and it shook weakly. With a grating noise, a small sector of the wall slowly slid open, revealing a staircase, leading deeper down.

"Do those stairs take us down to the chamber of the Great Seed?" Regal inquired, walking down the steps slowly after Kratos and Sheena.

"Yes, they should. Hopefully, we'll find the others, if they separated from Lloyd like you three. For this stairway passes all the rooms on the way down."

"Too bad we didn't know about this before. What trouble we'd have been saved." Muttered Sheena from behind him.

"Hmph, only an angel of Cruxis can open this passageway." Kratos said in response, he could almost feel the frown on the ninja's face. "Anyway… This should be the next room." Pressing another brick, the wall once again slid open, revealing another room. The first thing that they heard was a yell of struggle.

Regal immediately dashed inside and saw Presea attempting to pull herself free of the thick tree roots that entangled her.

"Presea!" He cried, running forward, and with amazing flexibility jumped in the air and swung one grieved leg at the roots. With a few well-aimed kicks the root snapped in half, dropping the pink-haired girl to the ground.

"Ugh…" She grunted, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees.

"Are you okay?" Regal asked, kneeling down next to her. Presea nodded.

"Yes… I am okay. But… we must help Lloyd and Genis." She said.

"I know. Are you well enough to walk? Kratos has a way we can get to them."

"…Kra…tos?" She looked over at the seraphim standing in the doorway of the secret passageway. Her eyes flickered to Raine's body, and paused. Without another word, she stood up and walked towards them.

As everyone stepped through the passageway, Kratos sealed the wall close. As he turned to continue to walk, he felt Raine stir in his arms. He nearly jumped in surprise. Gazing down at the woman in his arms, he saw her eyes begin to flutter open. Kneeling down, he placed her on the ground, propping her up against the wall.

"I-Is she waking up?" Asked Sheena, noticing what the other man was doing. The others crowded behind Sheena, watching Raine.

"Ugh… Wh-Where…" Raine muttered, her eyes now open. But she winced in pain, her head was throbbing with pain. Lifting her head, she came face-to-face with Kratos.

"Kr-Kratos!!" She cried, her face flushed slightly.

"Raine! Are you okay?" Sheena asked, kneeling down next to her. Turning her head to face the ninja, she blinked in surprise. What was she doing here? Then she saw Regal and Presea.

"I-I'm fine. But… what's everyone doing here?" She asked, thoroughly confused.

"Kratos saved us from our… predicaments." Answered Presea in her slow calm way of speech. "We are going to help Lloyd."

"Lloyd! That's right!" Raine exclaimed, jumping up, but regretted the action moments later as her head began to swim. "Oh…"

"You shouldn't overexert yourself. You're still recovering from the wound you took earlier." Said Kratos, already on his feet, steady hands on her arms and shoulder. Raine blushed again, feeling the warmth of his hands.

"Yeah, you're looking a bit flushed." Sheena added with a nod.

"Uh! I-I'm fine! R-Really!" She stuttered, her cheeks reddening even more at Sheena's comment. "L-Let's go! We don't know what Lloyd might have gotten himself into." With that, she continued to stride forward, but she noticed that Kratos had taken his hands off of her shoulder. The half-elf didn't know whether or not if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But it had felt… comforting.

Though, Kratos did walk close behind her, ready to catch her if she faltered. He did feel a little downhearted that Raine was not in his arms anymore. He had quite enjoyed the feel of her close to him. But she was well again. That was what he wanted in the first place. What he was feeling was causing him to be selfish. He had to stop thinking those kind of thoughts. Looking up, he noticed their next stop.

"Here's the next room." He declared, stepping up to the wall. Pressing a panel on the wall it, like the others of its kind, shifted to reveal another deeper chamber.

"Fascinating…" Raine murmured, studying the wall intently.

"Look!" Regal said, breaking her concentration. Raine looked into the room for the first time, a sort of magical wall was descending upon a small figure in the centre of the room, from all directions. Suddenly she realized that the small figure was a young boy, crouching upon the ground, with silver hair.

"Genis!" She cried, seeing that it was her younger brother. They all ran into the room, staring at the half-elf in the middle.

"Sis!" Genis lifted his head up, seeing the group of people. Kratos quickly ran to the strange contraption near the wall. He quickly activated something on the machine and quickly typed something in with his nimble fingers atop the keys. With a few clicks, a 'beep' confirmed the deactivation, and the walls disappeared.

"Genis!" Raine exclaimed with relief, running up to her brother. She took him in a big embrace, causing the boy to let out a gasp of breath.

"Raine! I… can't… breathe!"

"Oh! I'm sorry." Raine released her brother and looked him up and down with a frown, trying to see if he had been injured.

"I'm find, Raine. Are you okay? I thought you would have died for sure after we left you back there…" He replied.

"I'm okay, just a little bruised… Kratos saved me. He saved all of us, you too." She replied. Genis raised his brows in surprise and his head shot up to look at Kratos who was standing a ways behind them.

"You're kidding!" The half-elf gaped.

"Your sister isn't joking. If it weren't for him, as much as I hate to admit it, we'd all be dead right now." Sheena confirmed.

"Hmph." Kratos grunted indifferently, his arms crossed. Raine's mouth twitched in a bit of a smile at the angel's reaction, but quickly hid it.

"Alright, we should hurry and head to help Lloyd." She stated, standing up and brushing the dust off of her pants.

"Yeah, let's hurry!" Genis nodded in agreement.

"The next room should be the chamber of the Great Seed." Kratos informed them as they started to file into the passageway. "But you'd all best prepare yourselves, Mithos is most likely there… It could turn out ugly…"

"Right…" They answered, understanding completely. With that, they continued to climb down the stairs, soon they came to the bottom of it. There were no more stairs, only a dead-end.

"We're ready." They told Kratos. The man took in a deep breath. Closing his eyes for a moment, he knew that doing this was more than treason. He knew that if he did this, he would have betrayed Mithos forever…

"Alright…" Kratos pressed one of the stones on the wall. It slid open and he stepped back, allowing the others to pass through. Raine, being the last one to go through, paused, looking intently at Kratos.

"What will you do?" She asked. He stared into those light blue eyes, entranced. He didn't hear her voice for a moment but shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"…I don't know. But I cannot return to Mithos. Not after all that I have done." He replied with a dejected sigh. Looking at her again, he added, "You should go on ahead. The others are waiting for you. I might see you sooner than you think."

"… Right… Be careful, Kratos…" With that she turned on her heels, her orange jacket fluttered behind her as she strode through the wall, rejoining the others. Leaning against the wall, he pressed another panel, and the wall slid shut.

Kratos let out a heavy sigh and slid down the wall, sitting down. His head hung over, thinking. What to do… What to do…

* * *

AHHHHHHHHHH! Okay, I know that that wasn't a very good chapter for making you wait so long… but… yeah. 

Genis: You will die in… 7 DAYS!

FireEdge: No, I won't.

Zelos: Yes, you will!

FireEdge: -Pushes them into a closet and locks the door- Right, I'm warning you, however. That I most likely won't be updating this until _Stray Arrow_ is finished… Unless I have another writer's block with it… I will be writing a few one-shots once in a while though. So I hope that those will keep you company while you wait for me to finish my other fic! Thanks for staying with me! Bye for now!

--FireEdge--


	7. Chapter 7

Yay! I'm back! I'm finished _Stray Arrow_! Celebrate! (Though I did give myself a two week break… Hehe…)

Genis: Yes! I'm out of that stuffy closet!

Zelos: Fresh air! How I love thee!

FireEdge: Geez… Anyway, I'm here to update this story now! Without other fics (other than one-shots maybe) to interfere! Rejoice! But I warn you, my chapters may be lacking a bit, I haven't played Tales of Symphonia for a LONG time. And I'm getting rusty on its history etc. But everything's good for now! 'Cause I'm updating! ;) And once again, thank you all for being so patient with me!

Reviews:

Hamano Ayumi: Well here's the next chapter for you! Thanks for reviewing my other fic, by the way!

Tenshi no Namida: Thanks for the review!

Kazaana the Furyou Houshi: No, I certainly don't! Here's your update!

Rose-Wisteria: It's going to be so hard to adjust to your name, I almost typed your old one! Yeah, I tend to do that a lot, sometimes! Thanks for cheering me up with your compliments!

Toboe-Angel: Thank you for the compliments!

Trevor X1: Yeah, I know! It's so stressing, I'm glad that you understand! Yes, it is a good thing that Raine survived, what would I do if she didn't?

Ragnarok-legend: Haha, yeah, I'm so sure you meant 'good' there. ;)

angel white: Yeah, it would've hurt to hit your head… I've done that so many times before…

Amazon Bunny: Awww, I know that your writing is just as good as mine! I'll have to read your fics after my schedule clears up… Thanks for reviewing!

Kitten Kisses: I get that sometimes too… But I'm glad that you reviewed in the end! Thanks for reading my other fic, even if you didn't review it!

Katrina-chan: Thanks for the review!

rice8369 (x3): Yes, these two are my favourite characters, also my favourite couple! I'm glad that you love my story, and I really appreciate you waiting this long for my update! Thanks!

LateNiteSlacker: Wow, what a compliment! Thanks! Oh wow, you _do_ have that seen to do! Good luck on it!

Kratos Aurion: Yeah, there probably were a few errors in the past chapter… And I don't mind that you haven't reviewed for a long time! There was OOCness? I didn't notice, I'll have to be a little more careful, I guess.

Fire's guardian: Thanks for the review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Midnight Visit

Chapter 7

The sky was a swirling orb of black. Dark grey clouds covered the pale full moon. Nothing could be seen in the night. The only light that pierced this shadowing darkness was the glow of faint stars in the sky, twinkling here and there. Forming picture if you looked closely.

In fact, this atmosphere felt exactly like what Raine felt in her heart. Darkness, lit by a faint hope of light. The prior mentioned was sitting on the cold wooden bench that was in the elven park.

She and Genis had not been allowed in any of the facilities, except for emergencies. And sleeping apparently wasn't one of them. Her little brother was sprawled across her lap, snoring lightly, a small smile spread across his face as he was visited by happy dreams.

Raine knew that if she herself fell asleep, she would be plagued by nightmares. Ones that would cause her to wake up in sweat, panting and gasping for breath. So she decided that sleeping was going to become obsolete for tonight… Or perhaps the next few nights.

Of course, the half-elf knew exactly what those nightmares would be full of. They would be filled to the brim of her memories of her childhood. Of how she had been treated by others. How she had been shunned, and rejected.

Also mixed in those illusions, she knew would be Kratos… Her ruby lips twitched into a frown. What would tomorrow bring? Pain, that was obvious. But what was irking at her most was how everything would turn out.

Obviously, Lloyd winning would be the best course of action. And the one she wanted. But then again, she didn't want Kratos getting hurt, or even killed. Or Lloyd. Was she being a hypocrite? That didn't appease to her at all.

Raine shook her head, silver locks fluttering about her. Why was she even thinking about how _she_ felt about all of this? It was Lloyd that she should be worrying about! _He_ was the one that was about to fight his own father!

She supposed that there was nothing that she could really say or do to comfort him. The woman had lived on her own almost her whole life… But she _had_ had a father before, hadn't she? Of course she did, one that she never saw.

Kloitz had been almost banned from the village. He was allowed inside for official business. But then he had fallen in love with her mother, and they had conceived a child. Her.

The village elder, nor anyone else knew about this though. They knew the consequences for this. Some actually did know, but they kept their mouths shut. They didn't want to get involved with other people's business. That all changed however when Genis was born.

Soon everyone in the village was wondering whom the father of those two children were. At first, those who didn't know had thought that Virginia had perhaps been raped, and chose not to talk about it. Who would?

But after Genis, everyone became more skeptical. She didn't blame her brother for their misfortune. Raine stroked Genis' hair gently, he snuggled into her lap with a contented sigh.

Luck was just not on their side. It never seemed to be. Raine sighed, looking up. Maybe sleep would be good. At least her thoughts would be distracted, right? But falling asleep was going to be harder than she thought. Her mind would not clear.

Deciding to count the stars, where had she heard that before? It seemed so familiar. She slowly numbered, sometimes naming constellations that she had learned during her lifetime, she began to feel drowsy.

The specks of light began to look blurry and she covered her mouth from a yawn. Soon her head tilted forward on her chest, her hand laying on Genis' arm, the other propping herself up.

And as her breathing began to slow and inhale and exhale in an even beat. Dreams began to sneak into her head. Twisting and turning, meandering into her mind in slips and fragments. Just like those clouds overhead, taking turns to shadow the glowing moon.

* * *

Raine opened her eyes, taking a few moments to adjust her vision. Looking through clear blue orbs, she saw that she was lying in tall green grass. Sitting up, she found herself in a field.

A light and gentle breeze swept through the air. Bending the shafts of green, caressing the leaves in the nearby trees, and tickling the budding flower heads. Where am I?

Standing up, she brushed stray strands of grass from her clothing and looked around. After a few moments, she realized that she was outside of Iselia.

Frowning, Raine strode towards the nearby village. In mere moments, she was standing outside the gates. But the sight that met her was far from pleasant.

From her point of view, she saw several destroyed buildings. Many burnt down to its foundations. Many were still charred black, others missing doors, pieces of thatch, or having broken windows.

What had happened here? Taking a tentative step forward through the gate, she was automatically met with a jump of the town's militia. They had been hiding in the bushes. But now had their spears and pitchforks pointed at her taunt throat.

"Wh-What's going on!" She gasped, barely even being able to say that, the points were so close to her neck.

"Your brother and his traitor friend, Lloyd, are exiled from this village. Don't you know that?" One of the guards muttered hatefully. Raine gulped. She wanted to say: 'No! What are you talking about!' But of course, she already knew the answer.

"Y-Yes…"

"Then you know why we cannot allow you back in the village." The guard stated firmly.

"But I wasn't even here! I was not exiled!" Exclaimed Raine. Not again. Not again!

"It does not matter. You are his kin, its all the same…"

"But" She started desperately. She did not want to be banned from another home. She couldn't stand being rejected from another place she lived. But the guard pointed the tip of his spear at her throat closer.

"Leave. You are unwanted here." Raine could only stare as she was shoved back and she landed on her behind. The makeshift gates slammed shut in her face and she could only gape. Once again she was thrown from her home… Would it ever stop?

Suddenly her vision blurred and she was no longer in Iselia. This time she realized that she was a child again. No more than nine or ten years of age. Her short windblown hair falling into her big blue eyes.

All around her in a big semicircle were the Heimdall elder and several other elves. They seemed to be looming over her, their faces shadowed and twisted in the darkness over them.

She felt so small and felt as if she had done something wrong. But what had she done wrong? She always followed to rules, she was a good girl.

"You filthy being… Be gone from here. Leave, never come back!" One of the elves snarled. Raine scrambled backwards as the elves took a step closer to her.

"W-Why?" She found herself stammer, her voice a bare squeak.

"You are tainted with human blood. You are only half of our kind…"

"B-But w-what's s-so w-wrong with th-that?" Raine asked, her eyes starting to brim with tears. What was wrong with being different?

"You don't deserve to live among us, you halfling!" Said another wicked voice. Raine gasped as a leg came out a kicked her. The half-elf's delicate frame was thrown back several paces and she skidded to a halt.

Sobbing, she pushed herself up, trying to stand. But her legs were wobbling and she collapsed to the ground.

"Weak, too… You are completely worthless, you piece of trash."

"Useless."

"Can't even get up…" Raine tried to suppress the tears as she took verbal whipping after another. She felt another kick to her ribs as she was forced further away. But she didn't bother to look up.

She didn't want to see those faces. Those faces full of loathing. Full of hatred and contempt. Eyes filled with what emotion one would regard for garbage.

Raine blinked and saw tears splatter onto the cold hard ground beneath her hands, could feel that choking lump in her throat as she heard laughter. Booming all around her, never stopping. How she sometimes wished that she wasn't different. Why did she_ have to suffer? She never did anything wrong! _

Just as that thought came to her, her mind tumbled around. She was no longer near Heimdall, no longer the helpless child she used to be. But an adult that was fully capable of taking care of herself.

"I can take care of myself. I'm not_ helpless." She muttered to herself, smoothing hands over her orange coat. Relieved to be back in her normal body. Then lifting her head, she realized where she was. _

In the middle of a battlefield. Eyes widening she gripped her staff in clenched fists and brought herself to reality. She had to stay alert or she would be killed! So much for not being helpless.

Quickly glancing around she took in what was going on in the fight. They were battling… Adulochia? Everything suddenly clicked in her mind. She had gone through this battle before, exactly so. But this was just a dream…

"Raine! Watch out!" She heard Genis' voice cry.

"Huh!" She gasped as suddenly her voice was cut off. She choked as water filled her mouth and seemingly her lungs, too. The liquid stung at her eyes and she was lifted off the ground slightly, by the geyser like attack.

The attack receded and she fell to her hands and knees onto the tiled floor. Coughing up the water that filled her lungs. She tried to blink away the stinging of the water in her eyes. Or were they tears?

"Professor Raine! Are you okay?" Colette asked from nearby. Though they were all too busy with the battle to worry about her.

"I-I'm fine." She managed to croak out. Coughing immediately. Scrubbing at her eyes she let out a strangled yell as one of the mermaid like beings charged at her. There was no way she could get up and run in time, and she had dropped her staff when she had been caught in that torrential vortex of water.

'Clang'. Came the sound of metal against the monster's harp. The monster screeched and retreated back. As the monster turned away, her saviour muttered one thing.

"Be careful." Raine could only stare at Kratos' back as he chased after the creature, striking it with a Sonic Thrust.

Once again, she was saved. Could she never_ fend for herself? And why was it always _him_ who saved her? _

There she faded out of that sequence also. Falling into another shred of her reveries.

This time she felt herself lying on a solid surface, but it was cushiony. She could feel something tickling the back of her neck and her bare hands. Shifting, she could smell a light perfumed scent.

Opening her eyes she found herself on her back. Lying on a grassy hill, small blue and pink flowers dancing on the hill. Swaying gently in the wind.

"Am I outside Iselia, again?" She asked herself. But taking a look around her, she saw nothing but the endless rolling grass. Where was she exactly?

Standing up, she saw two birds chase each other overhead her, chirping merrily as they dove after each other. Raine marvelled at the beauty around her, taking in the peacefulness.

She was so absorbed in the serenity of where she stood, that she didn't notice the light footsteps behind her. Not until she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. Eyes widening, she let out a yell and reflexively kicked at the person who held her.

The man who had a hold on her grunted, and she broke out of his grasp. Taking a few quick steps away she turned around to see who her assailant was.

"K-Kratos?" Raine's face immediately flushed crimson and her jaw fell open. "What are you doing here?" She dared not ask him why he had put his arms around her.

Kratos tilted his head to one side. A lock of hair obscuring his right eye. He regarded her with a confused look.

"Are you okay, Raine?" One of his eyebrows quirked in question. Raine blinked, not really sure what to say to answer his question.

"You look really confused, like you don't know what's going on." Added Kratos, taking a step towards her. The silver-haired woman backed up unconsiously.

"Of course I'm confused! Of course I don't know what's going on when you come up and grab me!" Raine exclaimed. What in the world_ was going on here? If only she'd wake up already. _

"I didn't grab you. I was trying to give you a hug, but you started to kick me. Are you sure you're okay? Do you need to see a doctor?" Kratos replied, his brows furrowed.

"W-Why were you trying to do that!" Raine cried, now really _confused. What kind of dream was this? _

"Why wouldn't I embrace my wife?" Suddenly Raine felt as if she had just had a giant boulder dropped over her. What_ did he just say? The line echoed over and over again in her mind. Repeating again and again. Yet she couldn't accept what he had just said. Dream or not. _

She must have heard something wrong. The real Kratos wouldn't say that. He was devoted to Anna! He didn't even consider_ her. Not past a team mate perhaps. But… wife? Did he really say that! _

"Raine?" Her vision began to blur and she started to feel hazy. The half-elf could feel herself become lighter and it felt as if she was fading away.

"Raine? What's happening? Raine!"

* * *

"Raine! Wake up!" Genis said, shaking his sister's shoulders. It was well past morning. Perhaps near noon even. 

His sister groaned and her eyes started to flutter open. Seeing her eyes open, Genis jumped off the bench and planted himself in front of her.

"Come on, Raine! We have to go meet Lloyd and the others! We're already late!" Yawning, Raine rubbed sleep from eyes and she stared at her brother.

"If we're so late, why didn't you wake me up earlier?" She retorted, standing up. Her little brother blushed and he coughed, starting to walk away. Rolling her eyes she followed him, running slender fingers through her hair.

Those dreams… How disturbing. And remembering her last one, she flushed deeply. She desperately tried to quell the redness in her cheeks before Genis could notice.

_I hope that those dreams don't mean anything… Maybe I should stop thinking so deeply before going to sleep…_ She thought to herself as they made their way to the entrance to Torrent Forest.

But remembering that, she also remembered Kratos. And remembering him brought back the blush that she had just subdued. Would she turn beet red when she saw him again? She certainly hoped not.

Most of all, though, what was going to happen between him and Lloyd. They needed Lloyd to win. But to do that, Kratos might die… That thought extinguished the colour in her cheeks, her face blanching instead.

"Raine, are you okay? You look pale…" Remarked Genis, turning to face his sister.

"Uh… Yes… I'm all right. I was just thinking about what is going to happen. About Lloyd's… decision…" She replied as they crossed a bridge. They were getting closer.

"Oh yeah… Lloyd's going to have to fight Kratos…" The normally sarcastic young half-elf seemed serious for once. "I wonder what he'll do. Knowing him, he'll probably put on a show and fight him. But on the inside, I bet he's really scared and he doesn't want to duel his father."

"Mmm…" Raine nodded. What Genis said made sense. She wouldn't be surprised if that was what Lloyd did. "I just hope that this doesn't end bad…"

"I guess so." Shrugged Genis. "Hey, there are they others!" He cried, pointing ahead of them. The young boy started running towards their friends as Raine ensued slowly. Dreading what was going to come.

* * *

Okay. This has got to be one of my more unoriginal chapters… 

Genis: I agree.

FireEdge: But I couldn't think of anything! AHHH! Brain isn't working!

Zelos: At least it's a "decent" length.

FireEdge: Yeah… I think… Anyway… This chapter isn't as good since I just got back to working on it, and I'm extremely lacking in the mind department today. But I hope you like it anyway. Oh yeah, the part with Kratos in Raine's dream was from a book. I didn't think that up, in case anyone was wondering at the weirdness of it all…

Genis: Right… Please review, and maybe her next update will be fast and better…

:FireEdge:


	8. Chapter 8

Uh… Once again, I am late in updating. But these days, I haven't had too much inspiration. So please bear with me…

Genis: Yeah, and expect her to be slow on her other updates…

Zelos: Psst, I think school's dragging her down.

FireEdge: Well, no kidding!

Reviews:

Hamano Ayumi: Thanks for sticking with me! And I'll be sure to watch out for your next update!

Amazon Bunny: Awww, I'm so glad that you found that part good! It was really weird writing it, though. Hmm…

Spectre: Oh, that plothole thing was about how Zelos was dead, yet still my muse. Sorry if I got you confused there! It wasn't really part of the story, just a funny afterthought I had.

Miss Raine Sage: Thanks for reviewing!

rice8369: Thank _you_ for waiting for my update! It's nice to have someone there to push at you to update! Hopefully, my updates will be faster and more consistant now. Hopefully…

_Ragnarok-legend_: At least you reviewed in the end! I AM jealous! You got to go to Egypt while I had to go to school… Anyway, thanks for the compliments, it was really brain-racking, that chapter…

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Midnight Visit

Chapter 8

Small animals darted from tree to tree, rays of sun sometimes shining down from the thick foliage of Torent Forest. All the creatures of the forest were skittish, a tension was in the air. One that hinted at a life-changing event coming.

A dark boot crunched on the gravel path, small pebbles grinding beneath his weight. A gloved hand wiped at the sweat accumulating on his forehead, due to the humidity of the forest.

Shaking his head, locks of hair briefly left his face, but falling back down in place moments later. Kratos sighed and continued walking down the path.

Each step that he took seemed heavier than the last. He wished that it was because that he was tired and stressed, which he was. But he knew the real reason. With every tread that he took, he was closer and closer to what would decide his fate.

He would have to fight Lloyd, his own son. He wanted to lose to him, on purpose. It was a win-win situation, they would be able to release the seal on Origin, and he could finally end his miserable and sinful life. What was there to lose?

Lloyd's respect. Kratos knew that the boy would never allow him to fight at half strength and let him win. He would never forgive him. And even if he let Lloyd win and died, would that memory still haunt him into the afterlife?

Suddenly a small furry animal dashed across his path. It stopped for a moment to look at Kratos. It had large blue eyes and white fur, it resembled a small dog. It shuddered and darted off quickly.

But seeing that animal caused an unwelcoming image to pop into his mind. A quick flash of a delicately built woman, with wispy silver hair and sharp blue eyes. A scowl spread across his features. Why was he thinking about her at a time like this? He silently cursed the animal that had reminded him of her.

Kratos tried to push her out of his thoughts, rather unsuccessfully at that. The same question kept coming back into his head. How would _she_ react if he perished? But right on the tail of that was another question. Why did he care?

_Damn it… Why won't she get out of my head! It doesn't matter what she thinks, or how she cares. I'll fight Lloyd if I must, and whatever happens, happens. _He thought grouchily to himself.

Turning around a bend, he heard a shifting sound from behind him. Turning around, he saw nothing but a shuffling of something underneath a nearby bush. Releasing the hilt of his sword, he turned back around.

Facing the direction that he wanted to head in, he took a few steps forward. But in only those few steps, a sudden snarling came from behind him and a monster leapt at him, tackling him down.

"Argh!" Kratos grunted, quickly reaching for his blade. Finally fumbling it out, he slashed at the slug like beast, slicing it in two. "Hmph… Stupid creature…" Sheathing his sword, he tried to cleanse himself of dirt and blood, but to no avail.

Letting out another disgruntled sigh, he continued on his way. His mind slightly cleared, after the small struggle. Running a hand through his damp hair he turned another bend, strolling down the right path of a fork.

Without any more interruptions, he finally saw a clearing ahead of him. _Finally…_ The seraphim stood in front of a large slab of rock. Lines after lines of intricate script of an old language were chiselled onto its face.

Placing a hand on the smooth monument, Kratos could feel the cool of the stone seeping into his palm. So pleasant after the long walk here, and everything seemed so quiet in this little clearing.

Of course, silence was his enemy at the moment. For it brought more unwelcoming thoughts. Mixed images of fighting his son, and of a solemn half-elf. And sometimes, Anna crept into those notions. It was almost unbearable.

But he couldn't seem to clear his head. They just wouldn't go away, and the silence was so everlasting. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. Drawing out his sword, he swung hard and it connected with the slab of stone in front of him.

A loud echoing 'clang' reached his ears. The force of the blade hitting the monument caused his arm to vibrate. The hilt jabbing into his hand. The pain was welcoming, however, since it somewhat cleared his mind.

Letting out a sigh, he dropped his sword to the ground and sank down, his back sliding against the large tablet. He looked through half closed eyes at the trees, their branches waving ever so slightly in the barely tangible breeze. Kratos was sure to focus his eyes and mind on those branches, hoping to keep his brain occupied.

The bending limb, the dancing leaves, and the quiet rustling of the wind. Nothing more to think about. Noth-- His thoughts were once again distracted by the more sharp sound of twigs snapping.

Jumping up, Kratos deftly picked up his sword and turned towards the bushes. The leaves of the plant shook violently and the branches parted slightly to reveal a small animal. The fox like creature stared at Kratos again. Its unwavering blue eyes piercing into the angel's soul.

"Damn it, not you again!" The auburn-haired man snarled, his eyes hardening and glaring back at the creature. The white-furred creature tilted its head to one side and regarded Kratos again.

Kratos picked up a rock and threw it with all his might at the animal, striking it in the side. The furry beast let out a yelp and darted back into the trees. The man unclenched his fist as he watched the animal ran off.

Sheathing his unused sword, he took deep breaths to calm his nerves. But that didn't work too well, since that blasted creature had once again stirred up some memories that he didn't want to recall.

No matter how much he didn't want to think about it, they came back. And it was all the little fox creature's fault…

* * *

_Everyone was skittish. Looking this way and that nervously. Expecting something to jump out at them any second now. But then again, who wouldn't be tense, creeping through the tense brush in the dark of night. _

They didn't have much of a choice, though. Since they had just managed to escape the Asgard human ranch. Of course they had blown it up, like the other ranches they had visited. But there might be some other minions wandering about, and they couldn't afford to fight any more enemies. Not in the state they were in.

During their fight with Kvar, they had used up almost all of their supplies, and they were drained of energy and mana. Not to mention that they didn't exactly escape the ranch's explosion fast enough. They were outside the ranch, but were still caught in the aftershock of it.

Dust, soot and debris had rained down upon them all, some hitting their targets, others not. But they had all been struck by something. Raine had managed to heal most of the serious wounds they had taken, but she was depleted of magic now, and they weren't in full health yet.

Even his own healing powers were drained. He had, after all, been the only healer with Lloyd during their battle with the Grand Cardinal. And right now, it was really needed.

They were tired, beaten up and needed to get to shelter for the night. He could see many of his companions faltering. Lloyd was panting hard, hesitating in his steps sometimes. Genis had half-collapsed earlier on. Colette seemed more disheartened than usual, and Sheena was supporting her, though she was fatigued also.

Glancing a bit further back, he saw Raine trudging along. She was at the back of the group, and she was stumbling a bit further back with every step. With a frown, Kratos let Lloyd take the lead and fell back with Raine.

"Don't fall behind." He simply stated, settling in behind her. She was hardly a proper rear guard, and they had to pay attention to what might be following them.

The woman looked at him, a small grimace on her face. Ashes marred her pale features and her light eyes were dull with exhaustion. Her silvery hair was in disarray and her clothing in not much better shape.

"…I know that…" Was her simple response, turning back to face the direction they were heading in. Kratos gave his usual grunt, looking around once more.

Suddenly, he heard a shifting sound from his right. Twirling around on his heels, he immediately drew a dagger from his belt and tossed it skilfully. He could hear it whiz through the bushes and connect with something before 'thunking' into a tree.

The others turned around at the sound of him unsheathing his dagger, and held their breath as Kratos warily stalked into the underbrush. He returned several seconds later holding a small white fox. It was barely full-grown and was just starting to shed its winter coat.

The small animal was whimpering, its lower back scored with a bloody gash, no doubt from Kratos' dagger. The mentioned was already back in his belt.

"Aww, the poor thing!" Murmured Colette, going closer.

"I can't believe you almost skewered a little fox…" Sheena added with a sigh. From beside her Corinne regarded the animal with interest.

"Hmph. I thought it was an enemy… You can't be too careful these days." He retorted, putting the fox down. He could hear Raine walk up to him, then kneeling down.

"I have enough mana to heal him… Its not fair for this little one to be injured at our expense." The elven professor replied, holding out her staff unsteadily. Closing her eyes, she focused her power into the wound on its back and muttered an incantation.

A white aura surrounded the creature and in an instance, it was healed. Blinking its large brown eyes, the animal stretched its back, regarded Raine and sprinted off into the woods.

"You shouldn't be wasting what little magic you regained." Kratos scolded, seeing that she was looking even fainter than before.

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, Kratos is right…" Genis added with a nod. "You know it can take a long time for you to recover from that much healing!"

"I know, I know. I'm fine. And so is that animal. Let's just keep on go--" Raine was cut off as she suddenly fell.

"Raine!" Cried most of them. Kratos was quickly behind her and caught her as she fell. Genis let out a sigh.

"I told her so, but sometimes she just doesn't listen."

"It doesn't matter now. What's done is done. Let's move on before we attract any unwanted attention." Kratos grunted as he lifted Raine up carefully and started walking forward again. The others hesitated before pursuing.

Raine was very light in his arms, and he hardly felt her there. He would've thought that an adult would be heavier, but she felt almost the same weight as Colette might be. Give or take a few pounds.

His auburn eyes flickered down at Raine's motionless body. She lay limp, except for a steady rise and fall of her chest. Some of her hair had fallen over her face, covering most of her left side. Ruby lips stood out against her pale skin and she seemed so peaceful.

He wished that he could be that way, too. She must have such a wonderful life, compared to his. Since he had lived one of so much sin. If he could only enjoy a normal life, himself. Though he knew that that was impossible for him.

But he knew that she had suffered in her childhood, and that she had raised Genis by herself, when she was barely a child herself, maybe ten or twelve years of age. He didn't have his childhood taken from him. Though he was cursed with eternal life…She was an elf, bestowed with longevity. Maybe they weren't so different.

* * *

Maybe they weren't so different. What a naïve thought that had been. It was so stupid of him to think that there could be someone, who wasn't of Cruxis, that could be like him. And if there was someone out there similar to himself, he couldn't help but pity him or her.

He didn't pity himself, however. He knew that this was a punishment. For all the deeds he had committed in the past. A long time ago, that seemed… Some more than 4000 years ago. Some barely seventeen.

And for some reason, he couldn't help but feel a guilty conscience nagging at him. Nagging that he had done something else that made him more worthy of this living sentence he led. But the only thing that came to mind was… Him betraying _them_. Those with the Chosen of Sylvarant.

Leaving his back against the stone tablet, he let the cold calm him. His back was starting to feel numb now, when a voice suddenly pulled him out of his reverie. Opening his eyes, he saw a group of people standing at the opening of the clearing.

Lloyd… His son, was standing at the front, feet spread apart in a defiant stance. His chocolate brown eyes challenging, yet holding a deep remorse. One that shouldn't be seen in someone so young.

Yet, he knew that it was there because of him. He had caused all of this for Lloyd. Perhaps if he had stayed with Colette, he would've seen such things anyway. But letting Lloyd find out about his past… About _everything_, it must have weighed him down even more.

He heard a slight shuffling, and his eyes moved to see Raine, her staff had grated against the soil as she settled it in an upright position. Her eyes were averted from him, staring half at Lloyd and half into the deep woods.

Well, now there would be something that definitely made them different. The fact that one of them would live, and the other would not. Life and death, what a grand rift they had between each other. That would now separate them… Or so he thought.

* * *

Kratos' eyes fluttered open, they felt heavy and he groaned as he felt a pain shoot up his side. Opening his lids fully, he saw a wooden ceiling and a hard mattress underneath him. Budging his hand, he could feel thick bandages that were swathed around his abdomen. 

Suddenly what happened came back to him brokenly. He had… lost to Lloyd. Not on purpose, however. Lloyd, his son, had won with his own strength. How proud he felt right now. But this was not the time to be thinking such thoughts.

Especially since Mithos had come, and taken Colette's body. He would be in Derris Kharlan right now. Kratos sat upright, ignoring the pain in his body and swung his legs off the bed. He realized that this was Lloyd's room.

Looking around, he found his clothes and quickly dressed, buckling his sword belt around his waist. Stomping into his boots, he pulled on his gloves, running long fingers through his long messy hair.

Walking down the creaking stairs, he stopped at the base of it, seeing everyone gathered there. He blinked in surprise, his brows furrowed. For Lloyd was looking at him, a determined smile on his face.

"Nice to see you on your feet. Raine and Yuan thought that you wouldn't be up for at least a day or two… But we wanted to wait for you to wake up before we left to save Colette… Since you would be a big asset to our group." He said, his eyes never leaving Kratos' face.

The angel stepped down onto the main level, regarding his son with interest. He never knew that Lloyd was capable of such a speech… But a small smile quirked at his mouth. He didn't say anything however, for Dirk then came into the room from his forge.

"Ah, Kratos. It's good to see you awake. I'm glad that you'll be going with Lloyd. He may have been through this much already, but he's still a troublemaker."

"Hey!"

"Anyway, I have something for you, Lloyd." The dwarf continued, ignoring Lloyd's protest. Dirk laid a beautiful blade on the wooden table. It was long and flat, a cool blue in colour. It glistened as if it had just come out of the forge.

"W-Wow, Dad!" Gasped Lloyd, staring at the sword, lifting it up to admiring it. "It's beautiful… I'll use it to save Colette… And the whole two worlds…" He murmured, the last part barely audible.

Kratos stepped up to the table. "But you'll need another blade to match it…" Said the tall man, drawing his own sword. A sword of red fire, some said. It almost seemed to match its pair perfectly.

"Thank you… Dad…" Lloyd replied. The remark caused Kratos to open his mouth slightly, his brows raised. When had he decided to call him _that_?

"Now you have two swords, from both of your fathers…" Came a firm voice from behind him. Turning around, he saw Raine standing calmly, her hand on her staff.

"Yeah. Now I'm unbeatable!"

"Not quite…" Genis rolled his eyes, sarcastic as ever.

"Yeah, we still have to save Colette, remember?" Added Sheena with a nod. "Let's go already! Who knows what Mithos could be doing right now to her!"

"I… agree." Presea nodded. Regal gave a nod also, a small grunt as a comment. Lloyd grinned.

"All right. Let's go then, and save Colette!"

* * *

Well, a short and not very eventful chapter… God, I'm getting worst by the chapter… 

Zelos: Aww, don't say that. Just consider yourself… having a writer's block. That always works…

FireEdge: …

Genis: Well, um, its going to get all emotional again in the next chapter, right?

FireEdge: Definitely! Since I have the next two chapter planned out perfectly in my mind! And I'm not going to wing it like I did on this chapter… Hehe…

Zelos: In that case, she apologizes for the crappiness of this chapter (again). And she will make the next chapter better (hopefully) or you can haunt her dreams. Please review.

:FireEdge:


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